Miami’s Mario Cristobal a win away from history
-
Staff Reports, Staff reports
- January 9, 2026
Mario Cristobal is first Latino coach to reach National Championship Game
Mario Cristobal kept harping on a similar narrative Thursday night at the Fiesta Bowl after his Miami Hurricanes earned a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The Hurricanes’ Cuban American coach wanted his players to just focus on one more game after beating Ole Miss 31-24 in the CFP Semifinal. They’ll now face the winner of the Peach Bowl between No. 1 Indiana and Oregon.
Miami’s next game isn’t just one more game, though. It will be the National Championship Game at the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium, which has been the Hurricanes’ home stadium since 2008. Moreover, Cristobal, 55, will have the opportunity to make college football history as the first Latino coach to win a national title.
No Latino coach has even played for a national championship. If Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza leads No. 1 Indiana over Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Orange Bowl will be the ultimate Miami homecoming.
Cuban American duel possible
It will pit a Cuban American coach from Miami against a team led by a Cuban American quarterback from Miami. As if that weren’t enough, Cristobal and Mendoza are both graduates of Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School.
The Hurricanes were easily the most controversial pick for the College Football Playoff after the CFP selection committee picked Miami over Notre Dame. Miami has easily validated the selection committee’s decision.
The Hurricanes opened the CFP by beating No. 7 Texas A&M 10-3 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20. They returned to the Lone Star State to face No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
MORE FROM OUR ESQUINA
Fernando Mendoza, Jacob Rodriguez, KC Concepcion lead 2025 Latino All-America team
Inspired by Zach Calzada, Fernando Mendoza passes torch
Texas A&M star KC Concepcion speaks with authority
Miami dominated the defending national champion Buckeyes 24-14 to earn a spot in the CFP Semifinals. The Hurricanes then outlasted Ole Miss at the Fiesta Bowl.
Ole Miss took the lead with 3:13 to play in the fourth quarter when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright. Chambliss then found Caleb Owen open on the subsequent two-point conversion to go ahead 27-24.
The Hurricanes countered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive. Quarterback Carson Beck capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds to play.
Cristobal is the dean of Latino college football coaches. He became the first Cuban American head coach in FBS football in 2007 when he was hired by Florida International University.
Cristobal, an All-Big East selection as an offensive lineman for Miami in 1992, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Miami. Mario Cristobal coached FIU from 2007 to 2012. He was the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading FIU to the conference title.
Then he was an assistant coach to Nick Saban at Alabama from 2013 to 2016, helping the Crimson Tide win the 2015 national title. After helping Alabama reach the 2016 National Championship Game, Cristobal joined Oregon as the co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach in 2017.
A year later, he was promoted to head coach at Oregon. He won two Pac 12 titles over four seasons at Oregon before returning to his alma mater in late 2021 to prepare for the 2022 season.
Now Cristobal has Miami one win away from history.
Staff Reports
Staff reports
Stay in the Loop
Get the Our Esquina Email Newsletter
By submitting your email, you are agreeing to receive additional communications and exclusive content from Our Esquina. You can unsubscribe at any time.