Emotional Mario Cristobal comments on passing of mother

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal commented on his mother Clara’s passing for the first time since her passing last week, and discussed how much being around his team has helped him in the grieving process. While it’s only been several days removed from her passing, Cristobal is already back in the building and talking to media.

“This is exactly exactly what she wants, and so it’s all good,” Cristobal said Monday. “And again, the energy being around these guys, enthusiasm, it’s very real … Today’s about going, and moving forward and making sure that everything that was ever taught to us, my brother and I, that that’s always carried on in our daily doings.”

When the passing of Cristobal’s mother was announced, Miami Hurricanes athletic director Dan Radakovich released a statement showing support to his grieving football coach.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mario Cristobal’s mother, Clara,” Radakovich said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire Miami Hurricanes Family our love, thoughts and prayers are with Mario, Jessica and their family during this difficult time.”

When Cristobal first took the job, he addressed his family’s reaction to his moving the move back to Miami. The one person that didn’t know during his introductory press conference — his mother. “My mom is close by at the hospital, she’s fighting,” Cristobal said. “So she’ll get the news when she’s ready for it. I don’t want her to cause more issues and have to have more care at the hospital when she knows.”

At the time, Cristobal had not opened up about his mother’s battle with her illness, but has since addressed the fact that her illness dated back to at least late November, which was when Cristobal was still the head coach at Oregon. Cristobal took a flight to south Florida the week before Oregon’s Pac-12 Championship game against Utah to be with his mother.

Cristobal said his mother’s funeral arrangements are set for Monday, the same day that spring practice begins for the Hurricanes’ football program. Her cause of death is still unknown; she was 81 years old.