The respect for Mario Cristobal's coaching ability is growing, but maybe not as quickly as it should.
In a recent graphic by 'College Football Report', Cristobal was ranked 12th on a list of top 50 head coaches in college football. It's a significant increase for Cristobal's profile as he's finally beginning to put some early mistakes in the rearview mirror (especially the time management flub against Georgia Tech in 2023). However, there are some intriguing names that were placed ahead of him.
The Top 50 Head Coaches in College Football Following The 2025 Season 🏈 pic.twitter.com/B8pupweNo1
— College Football Report (@CFBReport) February 10, 2026
Cristobal places 12th on a list of 50 best coaches in CFB
The top five listed are Indiana's Curt Cignetti, Georgia's Kirby Smart, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Oregon's Dan Lanning and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman. No one can argue with Cignetti being at the top and, all due respect to Kirby Smart, there's a huge gap between No. 1 and No. 2.
Oddly enough, Cristobal's teams got wins over Ohio State and Notre Dame this year. I have fewer issues with Freeman, who I believe has well-coached teams that he generally gets the most out of. Day at No. 3 is certainly a choice. Ohio State has probably underachieved under Day's tenure given the large talent advantage the Buckeyes have over opponents. Even their CFP championship team in 2024 had two losses, one of which was completely inexcusable to Michigan.
So is Day nine spots better than Cristobal? That wasn't the case on December 31 in the Cotton Bowl. Miami was more physical, more prepared and never wilted under the pressure. The Buckeyes deserve some credit for halftime adjustments on offense, but coaching was a big reason they got in the hole to begin with.
There are some others that deserve a double take (Steve Sarkisian at No 7?), but overall, it's a fun list and as a topic designed for some spirited debate, it serves its purpose.
As for Cristobal, he'll be under the gun again in 2026 after the Hurricanes loaded up their roster with top recruits and major acquisitions out of the transfer portal. Anything other than an ACC championship and a solid playoff run would be considered a disappointment.