Did Mario Cristobal win national championship at Miami as a player?
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Before he was head coach at Miami, Mario Cristobal went 35-13 in five seasons at Oregon, a stint punctuated with two double digit-win seasons and a victory in the 2020 Rose Bowl Game.
But, even after leading the Ducks to a 10-3 record in 2021, Cristobal elected to return to his alma mater at Miami.
It was an interesting decision at the time, as Cristobal left one of the top jobs and resource-rich programs in college football. He then took over a program that had been mired in mediocrity since the early 2000s, with only two 10-win seasons since the Hurricanes‘ infamous loss in the 2003 BCS Championship Game vs. Ohio State.
In Coral Gables, Florida, Cristobal was tasked with returning “The U” to dominance of its heydays.
Now, he has a shot at becoming legend when the Hurricanes face Indiana in the College Football Playoff Championship game on Monday, Jan. 19.
“We came here because this is the place I love the most,” Cristobal told ESPN of his decision in 2023. “We know that this is the place that when done right is the best and also fully understanding you better be a tough son of a (expletive) to come here and do this job because it was left in a bad spot.”
Sound familiar?
The former Miami offensive lineman has rebuilt the trenches for the Hurricanes, who have dominated at the line of scrimmage throughout their College Football Playoff run. His team is bolstered by fierce pass-rushing duo Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, and his offensive line is led by projected first-round pick Francis Mauigoa.
If Cristobal is able to beat Indiana and complete one of the most daunting gauntlets in CFP history, it would be his first as a head coach. But would it be his first with Miami?
Here’s a look at his history as a player with the Hurricanes:
Did Mario Cristobal win national championship at Miami as a player?
Cristobal was a standout offensive lineman at Miami, lettering all four seasons from 1989-92 and securing first-team All-Big East honors as a senior. He also won two national championships in 1989 and 1991.
The 55-year-old coach has a chance to win another national title in 2026, which would be his third with his alma mater, although this time not as a player.
Cristobal is a Miamian through and through: He was born there and attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he was coincidentally teammates with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s dad. He then went onto play at Miami, before joining the program as a graduate assistant from 1998-2000. Cristobal also served as tight ends coach at Miami from 2004-05 and offensive line coach in 2006.
Cristobal was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson as a player, although he spent most of his career under Erickson’s tutelage. Miami won the national title in 1989 with Cristobal on its roster after finishing 11-1 in the regular season with a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Hurricanes then shared the title with Washington in 1991, going 12-0 with a win against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
How many championships does Mario Cristobal have?
Cristobal has been a part of three national championship teams, including two from his playing days at Miami.
Though it wasn’t with the Hurricanes, Cristobal was a part of another championship-winning team in 2015, when he was the associate head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for Alabama under Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide went 14-1 and won the second CFP national championship with a win over Clemson.
Mario Cristobal record
Here’s Cristobal’s year-by-year record as a head coach across stints at Florida International, Oregon and Miami:
- 2007 (FIU): 1-11
- 2008 (FIU): 5-7
- 2009 (FIU): 3-9
- 2010 (FIU): 7-6
- 2011 (FIU): 8-5
- 2012 (FIU): 3-9
- 2017 (Oregon): 0-1
- 2018 (Oregon): 9-4
- 2019 (Oregon): 12-2
- 2020 (Oregon): 4-3
- 2021 (Oregon): 10-3
- 2022 (Miami): 5-7
- 2023 (Miami): 7-6
- 2024 (Miami): 10-3
- 2025 (Miami): 13-2
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Has Mario Cristobal won a national championship? Miami coach’s title history
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