Bryant McKinnie identifies similarities in Miami’s culture from past eras to now

One thing Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal has worked hard to do is bring in former Miami players and keep them around the program. Recently, that included legendary offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie.

While spending time around the program, McKinnie explained what he sees in the culture today compared to when he was a player.

“From what I’m hearing is, like the work that they’re being demanded to do is kind of getting back to what we were on,” McKinnie said.

As McKinnie explained, one of the most important things in his experience is that the team comes together and enjoys spending time together.

“I don’t know the players, but as far as when I was here, we were very close off the field as well. So, I feel like that’s a very important thing too, is getting things, whether they do paintballing, some team bonding activities, escape room, something to start becoming a team and a family because that’s where we were,” McKinnie said.

“Another element that’s important besides the athletics part is becoming like a family, and once they inherit that, I feel like every team I was successful for, even in Baltimore, they were like family oriented. So, that’s what you need.”

Bryant McKinnie was a key offensive lineman on Miami’s 2001 national championship team, which is the last Miami team to win a championship. He was later a first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings and would later win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

Bryant McKinnie on what makes Mario Cristobal a good coach

While Bryant McKinnie was first at Miami, Mario Cristobal was getting his start as a graduate assistant. While recalling that time together, McKinnie explained what makes Cristobal a good coach.

“I think he has a great eye,” McKinnie said. “He has a great eye for potential and he’s seen that in like myself and a couple other players and knew to work with them. I feel that probably makes him a great recruiter. He has a great eye for that talent and also a mindset too.”

Along with that, McKinnie emphasized how Cristobal is able to find players who want to compete, which is just as important to him as purely talented players.

“You can have a lot of talent but if they feel like privileged or whatever like that, like you have to get guys who don’t mind coming here and working and coming to try and take people’s positions. That was another conversation we had earlier is like, the group I came in with, Vernon Carey and Phillip Buchanon and Clinton Portis,” McKinnie said.

“We talked about how we’re in our orientation, Clinton and Phillip were already like discussing how we’re only gonna be here for three years. That was their mindset. Like, I’m coming in, I’m taking somebody’s job, and I’m getting out of here. You know what I’m saying? They may not do that now with these NIL deals. They might want to stay a little long, enjoy that, but that was our mindset coming in, being hungry, and not minding competing. Trying to take somebody’s job makes that player raise their level to keep their job. So, it makes everybody better.”