Mario Cristobal’s head coaching career spans three programs and over a decade. In between, he took up position coaching roles with different programs. His results vary sharply by stop, but the numbers show a clear arc from rebuilding jobs to playoff contention.
Cristobal began as a head coach at FIU from 2007 to 2012. The Golden Panthers struggled during much of that stretch, but the program did post winning records in 2010 and 2011. FIU went 7–6 in 2010, winning the Little Caesars Bowl.
That season also earned Cristobal Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors. He followed it with an 8–5 season in 2011, which included a bowl appearance. Those two seasons were the highlight of his stint. Cristobal was fired in December 2012 after going 3-9 that season.
His reputation changed at Oregon. Cristobal took over the Ducks late in the 2017 season and coached the program from 2018 through 2021. Oregon went 35–13 during that span, won Pac-12 titles in 2019 and 2020, and consistently finished ranked.
The 2019 team went 12–2 and won the Rose Bowl, the strongest season of Cristobal’s head coaching career.
Cristobal’s first College Football Playoff appearance came in the 2020 season. Oregon reached the playoffs after winning the Pac-12 but lost in the semifinal. That game remains Cristobal’s only completed CFP game as a head coach, giving him a 0–1 playoff record to date.
Cristobal took Oregon to a 10–2 regular season record in 2021. He left Oregon and joined Miami, this time as a head coach, signing a 10-year, $80 million contract with the Hurricanes.
Mario Cristobal’s Miami Tenure
He returned to Miami ahead of the 2022 season to take over a program that had slipped nationally. The first two seasons were uneven, but progress became clear in 2024 and 2025.
Miami went 10–3 in 2024 and followed it with a 10–2 regular season in 2025, earning a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. That marked Cristobal’s first playoff appearance as Miami’s head coach.
Overall, Cristobal holds a 94–78 record as a head coach across FIU, Oregon, and Miami. He has coached in eight bowl games, winning three, including the Rose Bowl at Oregon. His postseason success has been concentrated during his time in Eugene, while his Miami tenure is still developing.
The Hurricanes are playing Texas A&M in the playoffs today and at halftime, both teams remain scoreless.
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