Mario Cristobal’s latest recognition comes with a chance to make Miami history.
The Hurricanes coach was named to the Dodd Trophy watchlist ahead of the 2026 college football season, putting him in position to become the first Miami head coach ever to win the award. The honor goes to the coach whose team finds success on the field while also reflecting scholarship, leadership, and integrity.
Cristobal is on a 20-man list that includes Curt Cignetti, Bret Bielema, Jeff Brohm, Spencer Danielson, Ryan Day, Kalen DeBoer, Sonny Dykes, Mike Elko, Kirk Ferentz, Marcus Freeman, Willie Fritz, Josh Heupel, Brent Key, Dan Lanning, Lincoln Rey, Steve Sarkisian, Kirby Smart, and Brent Venables.
For Cristobal, the nomination fits the kind of résumé he has built at every stop. He guided Florida International University to its only Sun Belt Conference title in 2010. Then, in four full years at Oregon, he won a pair of Pac-12 championships and posted two double-digit win seasons.
At Miami, the former Hurricanes offensive tackle has already pushed the program back toward the level it has been chasing. The Hurricanes reached a National Championship appearance for the first time since 2003, and Cristobal has done it while answering questions about his leadership along the way.
Miami’s 13-3 season gives him a strong case for the award, and the way the team finished only strengthens it. After losses to Louisville and SMU, Cristobal helped steady the group and bring back the edge that had powered the early 5-0 start. The Hurricanes then rolled into the College Football Playoffs and beat Texas A&M and Ohio State without ever trailing in either game before surviving a back-and-forth fourth quarter against Ole Miss.
That stretch doesn’t happen without Cristobal, whose background as a former Hurricanes player gives him a clear sense of what the job is supposed to look like. At 55, he has brought a physical, demanding style back to a program that now enters fall camp as a National Championship contender.
The standard is different in Coral Gables now. Cristobal built it, and the challenge is keeping it there.
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