Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal knows the task at hand and says while there is no "magic elixir," he knows what it will take to get Miami back

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal is excited about what he sees in this year’s team off a 5-7 season. He’s no stranger to turnarounds in Year 2 as a head coach, with his FIU team improving by five wins his second year and Oregon adding three wins.

On Tuesday, Cristobal shared his vision and thoughts on this team on the ACC Network, an interview that included former Miami coach Mark Richt.

“We’ve had some great additions, both in the locker rom and coaching staff,” Cristobal said. “The mentality, work ethic and love of competition at each position group has improved ownership in the team. There is a lot of momentum. Guys feel good about how we’ve worked, put this thing together.

“We want to get to work, shut our mouths and get right to practice.”

Two new coordinators – Shannon Dawson from Houston and Lance Guidry from Marshall – are leading the team this year.

“They are elite human beings,” Cristobal said. “Coach Dawson brings a great powerful running game (blended with passing). We expect to be a much more explosive offense. It starts with protection.

“Guidry had a top 5 defense for consecutive seasons. Pressure movement. These two guys, we feel they are difference makers.”

Cristobal says he’s preached resilience off a rough season and that “we knew we were coming into a process that required rebuilding.”

“(They) put their foot in the ground and said we’re going to get this right, and it comes through hard work,” Cristobal said.

Cristobal said off last season personnel deficiencies were addressed.

“You go right back to process – the best words I ever heard was you’re leaving a place because you did really well, you’re going to a place where you gave to turn things,” Cristobal said. “Turning it back is not going to be an overnight process. You just face it, eat the bad with the good and you just keep going. The blueprint has stood the test of time and worked.”

He shared his thoughts on some individuals / position groups:

* The offensive line? Well, with transfers Javion Cohen and Matt Lee added to the team plus a pair of 5-star signees in Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, that’s a totally reshaped group.

“Matt Lee embodies everything you want in a center, he knows how to do it and why we’re doing it that way,” Cristobal said. “You add Javion who had 20 plus starts in the SEC, one of the better guards in that conference, with a returning starter in Jalen Rivers and a returning guard like Anez Cooper. You throw in Francis and Samson – they broke the record for most muscularity in the body fat test.

“It’s all about putting your hand in the dirt and going to work. Without blocking and tackling you’re not playing football. We feel really good about the process of our offensive line.”

* In the run game, Cristobal said, “We have improved backs with an influx of young talent that should make for a really good ground game.”

* Asked about freshman DL Rueben Bain, Cristobal said, “He is a relentless competitor, a do-the-right-thing guy all the time. He is a load, explosive, great technique, relentless effort. He is a problem to block. We look forward to those matchups in practice. Rueben just wants to shut his mouth and go to work. He’s going to be an impact player for us this year.”

The bottom line from Cristobal on this Miami team? It’s a building process, and Cristobal knows what lies ahead. He says there is “legitimate competition at just about every position – it’s a pretty exciting time down in Coral Gables.”

“I feel like I know more and more why we were brought to Miami,” he said. “As a player and coach we had an opportunity to win a lot of games, championships, then it slowly slipped away little bit. We were brought back to get it on the national prominence level. That doesn’t happen overnight, but it does require your best effort.

“We have more and more high caliber professionals, elite mentalities that are just willing to work. There’s no elixir for that stuff – you have to go get it. I feel a lot better about the level of competition at each position. … I feel great about this – we just want to get t work.”

*Cristobal also said, with Lionel Messi mentioned by the ACC Network hosts, that if the world’s best soccer player sees Miami as a place that can help his brand “Why would any player not want to come to Miami?”