Is The U back? No. Mario Cristobal is building something new in Miami.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Positioned above his workstation, Mario Cristobal maintains a memento of bygone days.

Adorning the wall are pictures of the four gridiron strategists who secured national titles for the University of Miami.

Every day, as Cristobal arrives at his office before dawn and departs long after dusk, the visages of these four — Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson, and Larry Coker — serve as a constant affirmation that such triumphs are attainable in this location, despite a hiatus of twenty-four years.

Additional recollections are unnecessary for him.

After a four-year interval since departing the formidable program he cultivated at Oregon, Cristobal stands merely a single victory from reinstating championship eminence to this institution, just four quarters separating him from securing the coveted title for his native city and former university.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the outcome this Monday — in the collegiate championship showdown versus Indiana, remarkably held at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes’ home ground — Miami’s homegrown talent, Mario Cristobal, has already achieved a significant feat.

He has successfully reinstated esteem for The U.

“For two decades, I observed from a distance as Miami faced scorn and defeat, which deeply angered me,” Cristobal remarked recently. “It reached a point where I could no longer tolerate the ongoing negativity and criticism directed at this program. My brother confronted me, saying, ‘If you don’t undertake this, then who exactly will?!”

Lou Cristobal was confident his sibling Mario possessed the capability and determination to achieve this. Indeed, four years prior, merely months following Miami’s appointment of Mario, Lou playfully declared to a journalist, “I consider it a certainty: He will secure a national championship.”

Just days ago, Lou found amusement in his earlier forecast.

“My words proved true,” he commented.

The task, naturally, is far from complete, Lou states. The victor of the Big Ten conference presents a formidable obstacle. The Hoosiers remain undefeated, holding the premier playoff seeding, and are favored by over 8 points even within Miami’s home venue.

A noticeable indifference emanates from the local populace. The ’Canes, traditionally, have always possessed an boundless self-assurance.

Yet in this particular scenario, the Cristobal family has been accustomed to being perceived as outsiders for many years — descendants of Cuban migrants, Luis and Clara, who escaped Fidel Castro’s communist government during the 1960s, shortly after Luis endured imprisonment as a political detainee on the island. Their paths converged in Miami, communicating solely in Spanish, which was also their sons’ primary tongue.

Over half a century subsequent, the family’s most renowned member steering the local Hurricanes toward the national championship contest in his native city appears to be a narrative akin to folklore or imaginative literature.

This represents Mario’s motivation for returning to the locale he had departed for such an extended period. He regards his quarter-century coaching career as a pre-ordained path leading back to his roots: commencing with an assistant role at Rutgers; followed by a period as offensive line coach here under Coker; then a six-year leadership position at FIU, culminating in an ignominious dismissal (he continues to retain his letter of termination as a stimulant); and subsequently, a coaching recovery spell alongside Nick Saban at Alabama prior to his successful tenure at Oregon.

Every step led to this moment.

“My debt to Miami is absolute. The University of Miami fundamentally altered the direction of my brother’s and my own existence,” he stated on Tuesday during a break in engagements. “I grew frustrated from afar as individuals disparaged Miami, turning it into an object of jest. It was in a truly dire state. It’s a complete reconstruction effort.

“If I don’t accomplish this, then who on earth will? Two decades had passed. Who possesses the resolve to undertake what is required and withstand all the adversity, difficulties, and unpleasantness? I am indebted to Miami. It flows through my veins.”

‘Every Path Directs Back’

The precise method of his achievements is too elaborate and complex to fully recount.

However, three paramount factors are distinct: an unparalleled dedication to labor (he routinely dedicates 16-18 hours daily, sustained by ample cafecito — a cherished Cuban coffee enjoyed by him and his brother since childhood and into adulthood); assertive recruitment strategies (his enthusiasm for securing promising talents rivals his desire to win matches, demonstrated by three top-ten recruiting classes over the past four years); and a comprehensive institutional dedication to sports infrastructure (comprising millions from benefactors alongside a university allocation exceeding 40% of the athletic division’s financial plan, partially derived from the institution’s healthcare network, UHealth).

Collectively, these components have concocted a formula for triumph — a four-year tenure under Cristobal marked by yearly increases in triumphs: five during 2022, seven in 2023, ten in 2024, and thirteen to date in the current season.

“Our progress is advanced by a full year,” asserts Miami’s president, Joe Echevarria, who played a role in revitalizing the institution’s struggling healthcare system in 2020, subsequently aiding in securing Cristobal as coach a year subsequent and collaborating with him on a strategy for the Hurricanes to vie for the national championship by their fifth year.

The fortuitous location of the contest — Hard Rock Stadium secured the championship game hosting rights years prior — represents the crowning flourish on this season’s vibrant narrative. It also presents a cost advantage, notes athletic director Dan Radakovich. Arranging transportation for a football squad, personnel, and their relatives typically incurs an expense of approximately $800,000 per journey.

Throughout this metropolis, electronic billboards allude to the local Hurricanes. “Every Path Directs Back,” one proclamation states.

This situation presents an unprecedented financial windfall for the educational institution.

Miami stands as the inaugural direct recipient of the ACC’s revised unequal allocation system, which grants substantial sums to entities achieving superior television viewership figures and allows an individual institution to keep its entire playoff earnings from victorious postseason matchups (in this instance, exceeding $20 million). This shift in ACC revenue policy — instigated by legal challenges from Florida State and Clemson, and led by commissioner Jim Phillips — could potentially delineate a blueprint for forthcoming financial models in other athletic conferences.

The concept of disproportionate financial allocation has existed for decades in various regions, according to Phillips.

“The tactical approach dictates that to obtain a greater share from the conference, one must dedicate resources and enhance the likelihood of achieving such prosperity,” Phillips conveyed to Yahoo Sports.

The ACC has not featured a team in the national title contest since the 2019 campaign. Following a turbulent period — marked by legal disputes off the field and competitive challenges on it — the conference has re-entered the significant championship fixture.

“An abundance of speculation circulated — regarding the ACC’s downfall and its presumed trajectory toward a fate resembling that of the Pac-12,” Phillips remarked. “From my perspective, this assessment was unjust.”

The benefits of the championship game for Miami extend beyond mere conference monetary allocations.

The institution has observed “a significantly larger number of individuals” compared to this point last year renewing their season ticket pledges, Radakovich states, and he harbors optimism that this season’s accomplishments will ultimately lead to the groundbreaking for a seven-story football operations facility initially unveiled in 2022. The university has not yet commenced construction.

“That constitutes our fundamental requirement,” he declared from his office on Friday. “Is this the opportune moment to proceed? If one anticipates congressional involvement or collective negotiation, then an equalization of revenue outlays for [athlete] remuneration is likely. Should that balance be achieved, then [recruitment] will revert to its previous dynamics: evaluating the quality of your venue, the identity of your coach, and the daily experience. These elements will regain their significance.”

The ‘critical juncture’

Upon Mario Cristobal’s reappearance here in December 2021, Miami appeared a mere shadow of the establishment for which he competed during the early 1990s. The university had lagged in terms of provisions and infrastructure to such an extent that even past coach and UM quarterback Mark Richt conceded these shortcomings in a discussion several years prior.

Subsequent to securing five national titles within a span of 28 years, the university’s administration grew overly content.

“Following such extensive triumphs, their mentality was, ‘Why construct anything novel? We are already achieving victories irrespective,’” Richt conveyed.

Indeed, in September 2021 — approximately three months prior to Cristobal’s appointment — an unexpected individual catalyzed transformation within Miami. During a portion of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” commentator Kirk Herbstreit issued an earnest appeal, advocating for the university to earnestly commit to its football investments. The seventy-second segment achieved such widespread circulation that the institution’s most influential figures felt humiliated and, with remarkable swiftness, initiated measures.

Herbstreit furnished a “critical juncture,” as stated by Rudy Fernandez, the executive vice president of UM and principal consultant to the president, whom the UM board entrusted with overseeing the comprehensive football restructuring.

The university substituted athletic director Blake James and coach Manny Diaz with two prominent appointments: Radakovich, a primary designer of Clemson’s football powerhouse, and Cristobal, attracting each to Miami with substantial remuneration packages. This dual recruitment, executed mere days apart, broadcast a clear signal throughout collegiate football: Abruptly, Miami was striving for a resurgence.

“My intention was not to cause Blake’s or Manny’s termination,” Herbstreit remarked in 2022. “My true aim was to address those responsible for financial allocations and the appropriate destination of those funds.”

Nevertheless, the assessment was accurate, according to Jose Mas, an influential Miami benefactor whose enterprise, MasTec, commands a valuation exceeding $7 billion. The university “embraced ordinariness,” Mas noted.

Upon their arrival, Cristobal and his team were faced with the necessity of re-establishing “faith” in The U following twenty years of stagnation. Miami achieved ten or more victories in fourteen seasons between 1983 and 2003. Over the subsequent two decades, UM managed this feat only a single time.

“Miami held a Tier 1 status for visiting recruits during my playing days here,” he mentioned. “Upon my return, it had descended to Tier 3.”

He required the appropriate personnel, encompassing both coaching staff and athletes. Currently in his fourth season as head coach, Cristobal has overseen his second offensive coordinator and third defensive coordinator. An individual intimately familiar with Cristobal characterizes him as a blend of Nick Saban, Ed Orgeron, and Scarface. Numerous colleagues within the coaching profession assert that he is a demanding superior. However, those nearest to him contend that this merely indicates an insufficient work ethic on the part of those individuals.

“A reconstruction inherently involves extremely challenging phases that cannot be bypassed. One must persevere,” Cristobal declared. “Obstacles to advancement often arise from individuals. Occasionally, these are the very people within the organization. You must identify individuals eager to exert an extraordinary, almost unreasonable, level of effort.”

His work ethic is so intense, in fact, that his sibling Lou often worries Mario isn’t getting adequate rest. Lou and a circle of Mario’s nearest companions share an ongoing jest regarding the coach.

“He is the sole individual who will initiate a call simply to inform you that he will need to return your call at a subsequent time,” Lou states with amusement. “He is perpetually in motion.”

Four years subsequent to taking command of the program, Mario, himself a former offensive lineman, now leads a team reflecting his own characteristics. They present a formidable physical presence. They relentlessly attack and wear down adversaries. And precisely when an opposing squad concentrates on neutralizing the impactful running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown, quarterback Carson Beck — carrying his own narrative of comeback — extends the play with standout freshman Malachi Toney, Keelan Marion, and CJ Daniels.

Sixty days prior, this roster of well-compensated athletes held a 6-2 record, largely dismissed from playoff contention. Yet Mario advocated for steadfastness. The season constitutes an endurance race, he reminded his players — not a short dash.

“There are occasions when one is running a mile, feeling unwell, and their stride is misaligned,” explained Dennis Smith, the team’s executive director and primary recruitment figure. “Football serves as a practical illustration of navigating an endurance race. We missed out on recruits. We suffered defeats. We persisted in running the marathon.

“Our record stood at 6-2. Several players had transferred from institutions where they hadn’t experienced successful seasons. Observers questioned, ‘What is that individual doing here?’ When we reached 6-2, we refrained from assigning blame. We unified and understood that it’s a prolonged effort. Now, seven matches later, with seven challenging victories achieved in varied manners, this success originates with our primary coach.”

‘I fractured’

Throughout his initial quarter-year as Miami’s head coach, Mario Cristobal dedicated evenings and dawns to his mother at Kindred Hospital, a prolonged medical facility situated a short distance from UM’s grounds.

He would arrive either preceding or following his work hours. He would tenderly grasp her hand, press a kiss to her brow, converse with her, and recount narratives, despite her limited comprehension or ability to reply.

Approximately two weeks prior to his acceptance of the Miami position, medical professionals performed an urgent intubation on Clara Cristobal while Mario was conducting a practice session at Oregon. He was denied the chance to bid farewell.

That memory persists with him even now.

“The experience was profoundly distressing,” he remarks.

He journeyed to Miami shortly thereafter, entered her hospital chamber, and collapsed onto his knees.

“I had never before experienced such a collapse,” Mario stated. “For a brief duration, I yielded. I had never envisioned encountering my mother in such a condition. She is unable to identify, articulate, or scarcely perceive.”

Speculation and news accounts circulated suggesting Mario traveled to Miami not exclusively to be with his ailing mother, but also to partake in an interview for the Hurricanes’ coaching vacancy — preceding Oregon’s participation in the Pac-12 championship game against Utah the following week, which resulted in a 38-10 defeat for the Ducks.

“I couldn’t care less about public opinion,” Mario asserted. “I conduct my life with integrity toward others, yet individuals claim I exploited the chance to visit and interview with Miami. Are you genuinely jesting?”

Clara Cristobal, aged 81, afflicted by emphysema, renal ailment, and septic complications, passed away on March 4, 2021. In her final moments, Mario recounts that Clara began extending air kisses to her relatives.

“Indeed, she was aware,” Lou affirmed. “I am convinced in my deepest thoughts and emotions that she recognized Mario as Miami’s coach. Both she and my father are observing him currently, celebrating in the heavens.”

Inquired about his mother’s potential present-day sentiment, Mario exclaims, “Secure the damned victory!”

This Monday, at Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Hurricanes will pursue their sixth national championship.

As per GameTime, this contest represents the highest-priced national championship match in recorded history, with an average admission cost surpassing $5,500. By Friday, the least expensive tickets approached $4,000.

“Securing entry is incredibly challenging in this infernal city currently,” Lou comments. “Relatives I’ve never met have contacted me.”

With a singular concluding triumph, a definitive stride, Mario Cristobal can ultimately entirely revitalize Canes football — notwithstanding his prior achievement of reinstating esteem to this locale.

Yet, under no circumstances, convey to Mario, “The U has returned.”

“That phrase was reiterated for years. ‘The U has returned,’” he remarks. “I recoil. A reversion is not possible.”

A renovated U has arrived.