Mario Cristobal named 11th best 2022 CFB head coach
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was named the 11th best coach in college football by Bill Bender of The Sporting News in his “Ranking college football coaches 1-131 for 2022 season.” Cristobal is ranked 16th ahead of the 2021 season while the head coach at Oregon.
Mario Cristobal has remade the Miami football roster in less than six months since being hired in December. Miami moved from a 2022 freshmen class ranked in the seventies before Cristobal was hired to the teens depending on the recruiting outlet. The Hurricanes have signed 11 transfers, all since Cristobal was hired.
Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke provides Cristobal has a good foundation to build the Miami football program in his first season. Four of five of the transfers could start on defense for Miami. Running back Henry Parrish and wide receiver Frank Ladson will be key players on the Miami offense under new coordinator Josh Gattis.
Cristobal is the second-highest-rated coach in the ACC. Dabo Swinney of Clemson is second. Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M who Miami plays on September 17 is eighth. Miami plays at Clemson on November 19. Wins against Clemson or Texas A&M and a potential ACC Coastal Division title will push Cristobal higher on the 2023 list.
.@BillBender92 will join us at 4:30 ET to talk about how he ranks the top coaches in CFB heading into 2022.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 7, 2022
Who are your Top 5 CFB Coaches heading into next season? pic.twitter.com/Qv09Z9RZxi
"“11. Mario Cristobal, MiamiLast year: 16Record: 62-60 (0-0 at Miami)Lowdown: Cristobal is tasked with leading his alma mater to its first ACC championship. Seriously, that is where it has to start before any talk of “The U” being a national championship contender. The good news? Cristobal is 26-8 for a .765 winning percentage; ninth best among FBS coaches in that stretch (2019-’21)He pushed Oregon back into the CFP conversation. If he does the same with the Hurricanes, then there will be much more hype.”"
Oregon won two Pac 12 North Division titles, two conference titles, a Rose Bowl and had a Fiesta Bowl appearance during his four-season tenure with the Ducks. The Cristobal hiring has created excitement around the Miami football program and drawn praise nationally. There are high expectations for Miami in 2022.
Next. Miami fifth in ACC returning ACC production. dark
Miami returns 14 starters in 2022. The most important returning starter is Van Dyke. If Miami can have another breakout player like Van Dyke was in 2021, the Hurricanes can make a serious run at a Coastal Division title. Cristobal proved he is an elite coach at Oregon with a 35-13 record in four seasons.