Mario Cristobal Leaving Oregon To Become Head Coach At Miami
Dec 6, 2021, 11:14 AM
Head coach Mario Cristobal of the Oregon Ducks reacts during the Pac-12 Conference championship game against the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium on December 3, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Utes defeated the Ducks 38-10. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – After losing in the Pac-12 Championship game, the University of Oregon is now looking for a new head football coach after Mario Cristobal has left the program.
Mario Cristobal met with his players on Monday morning to inform them of his decision to leave Oregon and become the head coach at Miami.
Oregon announced the move on Monday morning with a press release.
Oregon Begins Search for Next Leader of Oregon Football #GoDucks https://t.co/WtJT3E8EMl
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 6, 2021
Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens released the following statement:
“We appreciate all of Mario’s accomplishments and hard work here at Oregon, and we wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter,” said Mullens. “The University of Oregon is a prestigious academic institution with a football program that is well-positioned for continued success in the future, and the search is underway to find another excellent football coach to lead and support our student-athletes moving forward.”
Cristobal spent four seasons at the helm in Eugene, compiling a record of 35-13 overall and 23-9 in Pac-12 play. He led the Ducks to two conference championships in 2019 and 2020.
The Miami, Florida native was the interim head coach in 2017 after Willie Taggart left to be the head coach at Florida State and the Ducks lost in the Las Vegas Bowl. After becoming the head coach in 2018, Cristobal and Oregon went 9-4 and 5-4 in Pac-12 play and picked up a win in the Redbox Bowl.
During the 2019 season, Oregon finished the season with a 12-2 record and 8-1 in conference play. They knocked off Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. In the COVID-shortened season in 2020, Oregon went 4-3 and 3-2 in conference play. They took the north division after Washington couldn’t compete in the Pac-12 Championship game due to COVID-19. The Ducks beat USC in Los Angeles in the conference title game.
Oregon went on and lost in the Fiesta Bowl. This season, Oregon went 10-3 overall and 7-2 in Pac-12 play, falling to Stanford and Utah in the regular season and losing to the Utes again in the Pac-12 Championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Cristobal and the Ducks lost to Utah twice in a three-week span, being outscored 76-17 in those two games.
Miami will be Cristobal’s third head coaching job of his career after spending six seasons at Florida International from 2007-12. He was an offensive lineman at Miami from 1989-92 and won two national championships with the Hurricanes. His coaching career started as a graduate assistant from 1998-00 at Miami and came back in 2004 to coach the tight ends for two years before moving to the offensive line coach for one season.
With the move to Miami, the Hurricanes have fired head coach Manny Diaz after three years with the program. He was 21-15 as the head coach at Miami.
