Mario Cristobal assesses growth of Miami in first year

Following a 4-5 start to the season with the most recent result a 45-3 drubbing at the hands of in-state rival Florida State, Miami is reeling a bit under new coach Mario Cristobal. Naturally, when asked to discuss the growth of Miami during his first year in charge, Cristobal wasn’t quite ready to take stock just yet.

There will be plenty that needs to be put into the proper context once the season actually ends. But Cristobal isn’t going anywhere.

“That’s for a long sit-down. We’ll talk about that after the season,” Cristobal said. “I knew there was work. I’ve said it a million times, I’ll say it again: We left some really, really established places that we worked our butts off to make established. And we left it knowing that Miami had lost its way and we’re going to do whatever’s necessary to get it back on track.

“Because when Miami’s done the right way, Miami in my opinion will always be the best.”

And whatever you want to say about how things have gone for the Hurricanes on the field this fall, it’s hard to argue with Cristobal’s recruiting.

He’s got the ‘Canes ranked No. 7 nationally in the 2023 recruiting cycle, boasting a pair of five-star commitments. A recent snag of five-star defensive back Cormani McClain was a massive get over in-state rival Florida.

So pause the discussion on Miami’s growth for a bit? Sure.

Growth for Miami won’t happen overnight

That Cristobal is so adamant Miami will get where it needs to be is a reflection of his belief in the program. A former player for the Hurricanes, he’s seen what the program can do when firing on all cylinders.

It’s clearly not right now, whether that’s due to an injury to starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a dearth of top-level talent on the roster, some questionable coaching or a combination of all of the above.

Cristobal, though, reiterated his dedication to righting the ship.

“That’s why we’re here. We’re not shying away from that,” he said. “We’re not shying away from the lumps. You take ’em, you eat ’em, you grow, you learn and you go. But there’s no head-faking. There’s no sugar-coating or BSing. You’ve got to work, man. Got to work and work it into reality.”

Miami still needs two more wins to become bowl eligible in Cristobal’s first season.

The search for another will continue on Saturday when Miami travels to Georgia Tech for a game scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET.