Mario Cristobal sets timeline on building Miami's coaching staff

The Miami Hurricanes officially introduced new head coach Mario Cristobal on Tuesday in his introductory press conference. Cristobal, formerly Oregon’s head coach, returns to Miami, which is where he played college football. As Miami gets prepared for a bowl game, Cristobal has set a timeline for putting together the rest of his coaching staff.

Cristobal plans to talk to the coaches currently on Miami’s staff, but he also plans to bring in some candidates from outside the program.

“Coaching staff wise, it’s first get with the coaches here,” Cristobal said when asked about his plan for building Miami’s staff. “There’s some really good coaches here. Get a chance to talk to them and interview them because they deserve that opportunity. I believe in respect. The game of football, to me it’s the ultimate form of respect. The lessons you learn in it, you’ve got to make sure you implement them.

“So we’ll do that as well as some other candidates. You always want to get a staff in place as soon as possible while respecting the processes that are currently going on, the preparation for a bowl game against Washington State. So those things are hard to juggle. But the timeline for that is as it happens. The sooner the better, but at the same time making sure that it’s thorough, it’s fair. Those things are critical for that nature.”

Miami went 7-5 this season, including 5-3 against ACC opponents. The Hurricanes take on Washington State at 12 noon ET on New Year’s Eve in the Sun Bowl.

Cristobal is excited to return to Miami as part of the coaching staff

Cristobal played at Miami from 1989 to 1992, where he was an offensive lineman. He won two national championships (1989 and 1991) while playing for the Hurricanes. While leaving Oregon was a tough decision, in the end Cristobal decided that coming back to where he played as the leader on the coaching staff was an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up.

“So I guess the best way to say it is, when you have the opportunity to play at a place and then come back and coach there with the experiences that you have had, surrounded by the people and the family that your fondest memories are of, what’s more powerful than that in this coaching profession,” Cristobal said.

Cristobal reportedly signed a ten-year deal that will pay him roughly $8 million per year. He will also reportedly have the highest assistant coaching pool in the ACC.