Mario Cristobal’s start at Miami has landed him on the mid-season watch list for one of college football’s top coaching honors.
The Paul “Bear” Bryant national coach of the year award released its watch list this week, and Cristobal was among the 28 coaches included. The award will be handed out January 27 in Houston, Texas.
Cristobal has Miami sitting at 6-0, with the Hurricanes producing one of the nation’s top-five offenses and defenses.
The list also features a wide mix of coaches from across the country, including David Braun of Northwestern, Troy Calhoun of Air Force, Curt Cignetti of Indiana, Ryan Day of Ohio State, Kalen DeBoer of Alabama, Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame, Josh Heupel of Tennessee, Lincoln Riley of USC and Steve Sarkisian of Texas.
Here is the full list of coaches named to the watch list:
David Braun, Northwestern University (Big Ten Conference)
Troy Calhoun, Air Force (Mountain West Conference)
Bob Chesney, UCLA (Big Ten Conference)
Curt Cignetti, Indiana University (Big Ten Conference)
Mario Cristobal, University of Miami (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Spencer Danielson, Boise State University (Pac-12 Conference)
Ryan Day, Ohio State University (Big Ten Conference)
Kalen DeBoer, University of Alabama (Southeastern Conference)
Jake ****ert, Wake Forest University (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Eli Drinkwitz, University of Missouri (Southeastern Conference)
Jason Eck, University of New Mexico (Mountain West Conference)
Kirk Ferentz, University of Iowa (Big Ten Conference)
Marcus Freeman, University of Notre Dame (Independent)
Willie Fritz, University of Houston (Big 12 Conference)
Pete Golding, University of Mississippi (Southeastern Conference)
Josh Heupel, University of Tennessee (Southeastern Conference)
Charles Huff, University of Memphis (American Conference)
Rhett Lashlee, Southern Methodist University (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech University (Big 12 Conference)
Eric Morris, Oklahoma State University (Big 12 Conference)
Billy Napier, James Madison University (Sun Belt Conference)
Tim Polasek, North Dakota State University (Mountain West Conference)
Lincoln Riley, USC (Big Ten Conference)
Steve Sarkisian, University of Texas (Southeastern Conference)
Morgan Scalley, University of Utah (Big 12 Conference)
Kalani Sitake, BYU (Big 12 Conference)
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Mario Cristobals Postgame Moment Kept Miamis Feud In The Spotlight
Miamis decisive win over Pitt should have been the nights biggest takeaway, and in many ways it was, but the postgame scene between Mario Cristobal and Pat Narduzzi made sure the earlier back-and-forth between the programs stayed in view. The two coaches exchanged a handshake after the game, a brief moment that carried extra weight after Narduzzis public accusations about Miamis recruiting tactics had already sharpened the edge around this matchup.
The interaction looked tense but still cordial, even if Cristobals gestures were read by some as more forceful than routine. Pitt was already dealing with a quarterback injury that shaped the way the game unfolded, so the result and the atmosphere around it were both lopsided in Miamis favor. Still, with the feud lingering in the background, the postgame exchange added one more layer to a rivalry that has been impossible to separate from the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]