Jimmy Johnson is fired up for Mario Cristobal era of Miami Hurricanes football

Jimmy Johnson and Mario Cristobal go way back. So far back that it was Johnson who recruited Cristobal to Miami as a player. However, when the Dallas Cowboys came calling, Johnson jumped to the NFL and never acted as Cristobal’s head coach. Still, during his playing career, Cristobal won two national championships on a team that Johnson largely built.

It wasn’t long after his playing career that Mario Cristobal found his way into coaching, including as an assistant at Miami. Now, he finds himself the head coach of those Miami Hurricanes, and Jimmy Johnson is excited about what this means for the Miami Hurricanes.

In particular, Jimmy Johnson is excited that Mario Cristobal has gotten a financial commitment from the University of Miami.

“I went by and saw Mario this morning,” Jimmy Johnson told the Miami Herald. “They had a walkthrough and have a scrimmage tonight. I stopped in and talk to Alonzo Highsmith for a few minutes and talked to Mario. Obviously, it comes down to money. And for the first time ever — even going back to when I was here — for the first time ever, they put money into the program. It’s allowed him to get as quality of a coaching staff as I’ve seen since my guys. Obviously, facilities to where they can compete with recruiting guys.”

“Them hiring Mario, I’m excited. I haven’t been as excited for UM ever as what I am right now.”

Mario Cristobal has already landed facility upgrades

Jimmy Johnson praised Mario Cristobal for getting the administration at Miami to invest in the program. That includes new facilities, most recently a new locker room that players reacted to in a viral video. Thanks to that video going viral, fans were able to watch those reactions while seeing the locker room for themselves.