On Friday morning ESPN published “College football coaching roundtable: Who has the most to prove in 2022?” Mario Cristobal is part of an exceptional group of head coaches who are in new jobs entering the 2022 season. Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC are all programs with new head coaches in 2022.
Three major programs had openings because their head coaches left for other programs. That includes Oregon replacing Mario Cristobal with Dan Lanning. Miami was probably the only one that Cristobal would have considered leaving from Oregon. There are other benefits for Cristobal returning to Miami.
South Florida has the most fertile recruiting region in the country. Miami has produced the most NFL players with 19 currently. Fort Lauderdale ranks seventh with 12. Cristobal and his staff can do a high percentage of their recruiting less than an hour’s drive from Coral Gables. The expectations under Cristobal are high.
Miami has a challenging 2022 schedule. Miami plays at Texas A&M on September 17 and at Clemson on November 19. The Hurricanes return 14 starters in 2022 led by quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The staff that Cristobal has hired is one of the most elite in the country. Alex Scarborough of ESPN stated his expectations for 2022.
"Two itches Miami has long tried to scratch have been nostalgia and desperation... They never really scratched those itches until now."@LateKickJosh has Mario Cristobal to @CanesFootball as the No. 2 new head coaching hire 👀 pic.twitter.com/GXifEBBXco
— 247Sports (@247Sports) February 25, 2022
"Scarborough: “I’ll be honest: I have no idea if Miami will improve on its 7-5 record from last season. That trip to Texas A&M in Week 3 is daunting, and I expect Clemson to bounce back and dominate the ACC again this year…That said, I expect Mario Cristobal to get The U pointed in the right direction again this year.He knows what he’s doing after going 35-12 in four seasons as Oregon’s head coach. And no one knows Miami and that recruiting area of South Florida better than him. If he could convince top prospects to go all the way to Eugene, Oregon, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he can find a way to keep them home.By rallying support for the program — and the NIL money that comes along with that — I expect Cristobal to get Miami back on solid footing in a hurry.”"
Cristobal being hired by Miami has brought created excitement throughout the Hurricanes fan base. Several prominent boosters have become more involved with the Miami football program. Several committed money to helping out Miami players with Name, Image and Likeness. Opportunities will be plentiful in Miami.
Scarborough’s statement about Cristobal rallying support for the program has already been supported. The Miami athletic department and University administration have made a greater financial commitment to the football program than with previous staffs. Cristobal has shown that commitment with the staff he has hired.