Mario Cristobal Lands at No. 12 on Top 50 Coaches List - But Is That Too Low?
Mario Cristobal has been steadily rebuilding his reputation in the college football world, and after a strong 2025 season, his stock is clearly trending upward. But when the latest list of the top 50 head coaches in college football dropped, Cristobal found himself ranked 12th - a respectable spot, sure, but one that raises eyebrows considering the resume he just put together.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t the same Cristobal who was under fire for a brutal clock management blunder against Georgia Tech back in 2023. That moment lingered in the national conversation for a while, but it’s starting to feel like a footnote now.
What’s taken its place? Signature wins, a tougher, more disciplined Miami team, and a coaching staff that looks like it’s finally found its rhythm.
So why is Cristobal still sitting outside the top 10?
The top five on the list feature some heavy hitters: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. No real shockers there - Cignetti’s rise has been meteoric, and Smart’s track record speaks for itself. But it’s hard not to notice that two of the coaches ranked ahead of Cristobal - Day and Freeman - lost to his Hurricanes this past season.
That’s right. Miami knocked off both Ohio State and Notre Dame in 2025.
And these weren’t fluky wins. In the Cotton Bowl against the Buckeyes, Miami looked like the better-prepared, more physical team.
The Hurricanes set the tone early, and even though Ohio State made some solid halftime adjustments, the hole they found themselves in was largely the result of Miami’s gameplan - and Cristobal’s leadership.
So if Cristobal outcoached Day on one of the biggest stages of the season, how is Day sitting nine spots ahead of him?
That’s the kind of question that makes these rankings fun to dissect. Because while Day has had his share of success, there’s an argument to be made that Ohio State has underperformed relative to its talent.
Even during their 2024 national title run, the Buckeyes dropped two games - including a head-scratcher against Michigan. Cristobal, on the other hand, has taken a Miami program that was stuck in neutral and turned it into a legitimate playoff threat.
There are a few other rankings that might make fans do a double take - Steve Sarkisian at No. 7 is bound to spark some conversation - but overall, the list does what it’s meant to: stir the pot and get people talking.
For Cristobal, though, the conversation is shifting. He’s no longer the coach trying to prove he belongs in the elite tier - he’s already knocking on the door.
And with Miami stacking talent through both recruiting and the transfer portal, the expectations for 2026 are sky-high. An ACC title and a deep playoff run aren’t just goals - they’re the new standard.
If he delivers, don’t expect to see Cristobal outside the top 10 much longer.