For over a decade, the University of Miami wasn’t just dominant - it was untouchable. From 1983 to 1994, the Hurricanes were the gold standard in college football, stacking up national championships, top-three AP finishes, and a level of swagger that made them both feared and admired. But even during that golden era, there was always a sense that Miami was a stopover - a launchpad for coaches with bigger dreams.
Howard Schnellenberger. Jimmy Johnson.
Dennis Erickson. Butch Davis.
One by one, they brought success to Coral Gables, then moved on. And eventually, the wins stopped coming as easily.
The cracks began to show. A private school with a smaller enrollment and alumni base than the blue-blood powerhouses like Alabama, Ohio State, and Florida, Miami started to drift.
What once felt like an unstoppable force began to look rudderless - tradition without direction.
That’s what makes this moment so different.
As Miami gears up to face No. 1 Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night, there’s a feeling that hasn’t been around this program in a long time: staying power.
Not just a flash of relevance, but a foundation. And at the center of it all is Mario Cristobal.
Cristobal isn’t just another coach passing through. He’s a Miami guy through and through - a national champion offensive lineman for the Hurricanes, a proven head coach who went 35-13 at Oregon, and someone who didn’t just return to his alma mater for nostalgia. He came back with a plan, and he’s been executing it step by step.
“This was a fight that had to be had,” Cristobal said at CFP media day. “This was a journey with painful steps that could not be skipped.”
He wasn’t looking for a quick fix. With a 10-year, $80 million contract, Cristobal had the runway to do things the right way - not the fast way.
And early on, it wasn’t pretty. In 2022, Miami went 5-7, tying the program’s worst record in 45 years.
But Cristobal didn’t panic. He built.
And now, the Hurricanes are 30-11 over the past three seasons - their best stretch since the early 2000s, when they last won it all.
Cristobal saw what others missed - or ignored. The program that once ruled the sport had fallen behind in facilities, staffing, and infrastructure.
“I believe that Miami in the ’80s was so good, I think people fell asleep at the wheel,” he said. “You blink an eye and 20 years go by and it’s like, ‘Where’s Miami?’”
He’s answered that question by modernizing the program from the inside out. That’s meant hitting the transfer portal aggressively and smartly.
Landing Cam Ward, who would go on to win the Heisman, was a game-changer. Bringing in Carson Beck, with his 37-5 career record, gave the Hurricanes another elite option under center.
And on the recruiting trail, Cristobal secured foundational pieces like Rueben Bain Jr. on the defensive line and freshman wideout Malachi Toney.
But it’s not just talent acquisition. It’s culture shift.
Cristobal has worked to reshape the identity of Miami football - not by erasing the past, but by evolving it. The Hurricanes still have that signature edge, but there’s a new discipline to go with it.
Players are excelling in the classroom. The flash is still there, but it’s backed by substance.
“We keep our mouths shut and we go to work,” Cristobal said. “It’s a different day and age.”
He knows the spotlight is brighter than ever. Social media means every move is magnified.
But Cristobal isn’t interested in theatrics. His focus is on building something that lasts - a program that wins with consistency, not just style.
“There was never any lean towards going back [to the old image],” he said. “You go back to take the principles and values and bring them forward, but to go forward… that’s the best way to do it.”
And now here they are - on the doorstep of a national title. It’s been a long road back for Miami, but this time, it feels different.
This isn’t a team trying to recapture its past. It’s a team building a future.
And with Cristobal at the helm, the U might not just be back - it might be here to stay.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP **No.
10 Miami vs. No.
1 Indiana**
When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
TV: ESPN
Line/Over-Under: Indiana by 8.5; O/U 47.5