All the noise about Mario Cristobal being interested in the NFL or the NFL being interested in Cristobal has my head spinning. And I'm not the only one.
Dan LeBatard and his crew of characters on his daily show also seemed to be trying to wrap their head around these rumors and the lack of validity that has come with them. The general belief is that Cristobal is staying with the Miami Hurricanes and doesn't have any interest in going to the NFL next season or in the near future.
"Mario Cristobal is the most college and NOT NFL coach there is" pic.twitter.com/eicxR8eXzW
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 23, 2026
Dan Le Betard is having none of the 'Mario-to-NFL' conversation
Le Batard is a Miami native and one of the most prominent sports media figures in the region. So if there's anything the University of Miami alumnus is going to have solid information on, it's if Cristobal is looking to move on from being the Hurricanes' head football coach. And that's probably the main reason he went so hard after Brian Baldinger when it seemed like the NFL Network analyst was just throwing stuff against the wall.
Baldinger claimed that the Pittsburgh Steelers were very interested in Mario Cristobal and suggested his coaching style would translate well to the NFL.
"I watched his practice in the spring," Baldinger said. "The way that Mario coached that team reminded me of what old-school coaches used to do."
Cristobal as an NFL head coach doesn't seem likely
Baldinger tried to frame it as him just spltballing, but he did plainly state that he heard the Steelers were interested, which irked Le Batard. It's one thing if Baldinger says that the Steelers should consider Cristobal, but it's another to say he heard the team was interested. Heard it from whom? Cristobal is clearly working to rebuild the Hurricanes roster for another CFP run and that's work he probably wouldn't be doing if NFL teams were sniffing around him.
"You are doing that reporting and that nonsense. The sourcing is flimsy on that. It's just Baldinger saying it with his crooked finger," Le Batard said.
And on-air producer Chris Cote added what many people think — Cristobal and the NFL probably aren't a good match right now. Not saying it couldn't happen because many NFL teams struggle to get the coaching hires right, but it appears very unlikely.
"Mario Cristobal is the most college and not NFL coach there is," Cote said. "First off, I don't think he would leave the Hurricanes and number two. I also don't think there's anyway an NFL team would want him."