Mario Cristobal is coming home to Miami.
Cristobal, who helped lead the University of Miami to two national championships in 1989 and 1991 as a standout offensive lineman, has been named the University’s 26th football head coach, President Julio Frenk announced today (Dec. 6).
One of college football’s most highly regarded coaches, Cristobal returns to his alma mater after leading the University of Oregon to three straight Pac-12 Conference championship game appearances and two Pac-12 titles. He is the only coach in the nation whose team has played in a Power Five conference championship game in each of the past three seasons.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Mario, his wife, Jessica, and their sons Mario Mateo and Rocco home to Miami,” Frenk said. “Mario’s legacy as a student-athlete at the U is well established. And the standard for competitive excellence that he and his teammates helped establish is one to which we continue to aspire. Our selection, however, was not one based in nostalgia for a proud past, but rather in a bold vision for a promising future.
“The characteristics that helped Mario excel as a national championship-winning player—drive, determination, and discipline—continue to propel his success as a coach. In Mario we have found a head coach who shares our belief in providing student-athletes with the very best opportunities to succeed on and off the field, and our commitment to winning at the highest level.”
“My family and I are excited to return home to the University of Miami, which has been so instrumental in shaping me as a person, player, and coach,” Cristobal said. “This program has an unparalleled tradition and an exciting future ahead of it. I can’t wait to compete for championships and help mold our student-athletes into leaders on and off the field who will make our University, our community, and our loyal fan base proud.”
Cristobal brings more than 20 years of FBS coaching experience to Coral Gables, including 10 as a head coach. He compiled a 35-13 record at Oregon, leading the Ducks to consecutive Pac-12 titles in 2019 and 2020. Oregon advanced to three straight conference championship games from 2019 to 2021 and earned bowl-game appearances in each of Cristobal’s seasons in Eugene, highlighted by a Rose Bowl victory that capped a 12-win season and No. 5 ranking in the final Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls in 2019. Cristobal was named the Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year for his efforts that season.
Over Cristobal’s first three seasons in Eugene, and with this year’s awards yet to be announced, Oregon players earned 37 all-conference selections and 13 players were selected in the NFL Draft, including first-round selections in each of the past two drafts. During his tenure as both an assistant and head coach at Oregon, two players—Noah Sewell and Kayvon Thibodeaux—earned Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors, and three players—Thibodeaux, Penei Sewell, and Tyrell Crosby—earned the Morris Trophy, awarded to the Pac-12’s best offensive and defensive linemen. Cristobal served as Oregon’s co-offensive coordinator, run-game coordinator, and offensive line coach during the 2017 season before being elevated to head coach.