Miami football step one firing Manny Diaz, Mario Cristobal expected replacement
The Miami football program has fired head coach Manny Diaz with Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal expected to be his replacement according to multiple sources. Miami is committing an unprecedented amount of money for the Diaz buyout and potential Cristobal Oregon buyout and contract at Miami.
Miami finishes 19-15 during the Diaz era. After a 2-4 start to the 2021 season, Miami won five of its last six to finish the 2021 regular season 7-5. Miami was 6-7 in the inaugural season under Diaz in 2019 and improved to 8-3 in 2020. The poor start to the 2021 season, bad losses and big game defeats ultimately doomed Diaz.
Miami finished the 2019 season with losses to FIU, Duke and Louisiana Tech. The Hurricanes began 2020 8-1 but that included a 42-17 loss at Clemson. A 62-26 embarrassing loss at home to North Carolina to end the 2020 regular season began a stretch of six consecutive losses to Power Five opponents.
Cristobal reportedly has an $8 million per year contract for more than five years on the table. A Monday noon deadline was reportedly given to Cristobal to make a decision to accept or decline the offer from Miami. The announcement that Diaz has been fired would indicate that Cristobal will become the next Miami head coach.
Julio Frenk confirms Manny dismissal, says: “We are grateful to Coach Diaz for his many contributions to our campus community and to his native South Florida, and for the strong leadership and exemplary character he exhibited during his tenure at the University."...
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 6, 2021
According to the Miami Herald Diaz has a contract that runs through 2023. The final two years of the Diaz contract were reportedly worth between $6.5 and eight million over the next two years according to Barry Jackson of the Herald. If Diaz is hired somewhere else that money would be diminished by his new salary.
If Diaz does not have another coaching job over the next two seasons he would be owed more than half of the remaining contract. The inability to build on two top 20 recruiting classes was another negative development for Diaz. Miami has the 52nd ranked recruiting class in the 2022 cycle.
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Cristobal is well regarded as a recruiter. Oregon has the ninth-ranked Class for 2022. If as expected Cristobal becomes the next head coach for the Miami football program, he will have only nine days until early national signing day. Miami currently has nine commits for 2022. It will be a sprint for the Hurricanes’ new staff.