Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal sees culture shift, pieces falling into place with goal of becoming one of nation's top programs again

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal after Tuesday practice: Team making gains, “we see progress”

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal doesn’t just want to see playmaking on the field this spring, or simply players learning the schemes of new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

Just as important, if not moreso?

The mentality and attitude of players, and their work ethic.

It’s a culture change Cristobal has sought since he arrived last year. And Cristobal said in a one-on-one interview with On3’s JD Pickell on Hard Count that he’s seeing the shift occur that the program needs.

“It’s as simple as guys that like to work,” Cristobal said. “Putting myself and my staff in an environment where maybe that hasn’t been the standard for a while. It’s like mixing oil and water – that’s not going to work, you know? This game is about working hard and being able to fight through adversity and also being a great colleague. What you’re seeing now is there’s a tremendous amount of unity because of time invested and because of hard work, sweat equity. All that stuff is paying off and of course has to pay off on gameday. You see the progress in terms of the way people are learning the scheme a lot quicker due to older guys teaching the younger guys. And you see younger guys not being timid. These are highly athletic guys that can flat out play, so that’s a great combination when the competitive nature of the team is high because guys get better. So we’re progressing. We’re not where we need to be, don’t get me wrong, but we’re certainly progressing.”

Cristobal also shared his thoughts on adding new coordinators Shannon Dawson and Lance Guidry.

“The schematic change we made with the coordinator hires allowed us to maximize our talent better, it’s a much better fit,” Cristobal said. “The quarterback play has certainly elevated, the wide receiver play inside and outside both because of scheme and some additions really elevated as well. Lance Guidry defensively brings a scheme that has been a top 5 scheme defensively for a couple of years now. We fit better schematically now and we’re just working. Keeping our mouths shut, going to work. Offseason talent acquisition is starting to look in a lot of places what it needs to look like at Miami.”

On the offensive side Cristobal said the team has already installed “85, 90 percent of the offense.” He credits the quick learning of QB Tyler Van Dyke in part for that.

And, of course, the new scheme.

“Shannon is a stud,” Cristobal said. “He was able to blend the principle of the Air Raid in the passing game and has really done a great job pounding the football. He’s an elite human being, an elite teacher. What he does really fits what we are looking for. We want to be an explosive offense, a physical offense. And in South Florida if you have an exciting and explosive offense you’re going to attract the best players from South Florida to play in this particular offense. Kind of like Lance Guidry, top 5, top 10 in several categories, and not by accident. Over a period of years, and it starts with being an elite human being and a great connector. The guys really enjoy being around him.”

Those weren’t the only coaching changes on this team. A new coach on the defensive line is NFL great Jason Taylor, who was promoted from an off-field role.

“It was an easy decision,” Cristobal said. “Imagine a guy that’s earned a gold jacket as an NFL Hall of Famer who really has nothing to prove but shows up every single day as if he has everything to prove. Another guy who has a human being and teacher is as good as it gets. His energy, it’s like when he was a player. He brings that same energy every single day.”

As far as a couple of key offensive positions on the team?

Cristobal said Van Dyke has responded well to the new coordinator/QB coach.

“It’s a great match,” Cristobal said. “It’s exactly how you want to pair up a coordinator and your quarterback. The other two – Jacurri (Brown) has been off the charts and Emory (Williams) has done a really good job as a freshman. But right now it starts with Tyler. (Last year) sometimes things don’t fit, it’s not a knock on anyone, any scheme. This is certainly the right fit. From an offensive standpoint there’s a lot of autonomy, which Tyler is a really smart guy, he understands protections, coverage structures, bluffs, disguises, that kind of stuff. So we’re able to do a lot with him early – a lot of progress, excitement, buzz around the building.”

Cristobal also made rebuilding the offensive line a major priority after that unit did not live up to the Miami standard a year ago. Miami added Alabama LG transfer Javion Cohen and UCF center transfer Matt Lee while also putting together an elite recruiting class that included 5-star early enrollees Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola.

“We are climbing toward what we want to be,” Cristobal said. “Samson and Francis join Matt Lee and Javion Cohen joining Jalen Rivers, Anez Cooper, the rest of these guys. A lot of young guys playing well also. A tremendous difference in terms of your vertical size and width, girth, power, your recoverability. There’s a lot of experience up front as well that helps those new guys. They are explosive and gargantuan human beings that they love to work, they love to get pushed, don’t mind getting challenged.”

Cristobal also discussed NIL and how it relates to college football, with programs unable to be directly involved in negotiations per the rules but NIL putting money in players’ pockets.

“It’s the same approach you have with coaches – you have an opportunity to earn a certain amount so go get it,” Cristobal said. “At the end of the day you get what you earned, settled for. It is there for the taking. It provides some great opportunities. I wish we tied more academics into it because now you tie education into the ability to earn.

“We’re here to help in any way we can. Once you get what you get, show up and get to work. … We support it at a really high level, and it’s been a difference- maker for our program.”

As Cristobal continues to work to build this program from the inside out into a national title contender, the key is continuing to add top talent in recruiting and the portal. To do that, Cristobal and his staff have to bond with prospects and show them what the future looks like at Miami. That begins with, as Cristobal puts it, “Just being real and being genuine.”

“The best predictor of the future is what a staff or coach has done in the past,” he said. “Look at the past stops of our coaches. Our program and our blueprint when I was at Alabama before going to Oregon and that team (at Oregon) was 4-8 and the last two years we were there we either played for or won the conference title and won a Rose Bowl. And that was through culture, hard work and talent acquisition. The edges looked better, the trenches got better, explosive, had a great quarterback on the roster, Justin Herbert, but also won the conference with other quarterbacks as well. So a lot of hard work by a lot of people that just come together with a common goal and are likeminded individuals and buying into the culture.

“And the culture starts and ends with hard work, eliminating any entitlement and any selfishness. We brought that over here, and at first that’s a shot right in the nose and that’s okay. We are fully aware of what we had to do and how we had to do it and what comes with the first part of it. So for us the excitement around here, the true energy in what’s going on is awesome and it’s seen every day on the field.”

The end result Cristobal wants to see is conference titles and national titles.

Just like how it was back in the day when Cristobal was a player at UM.

“What made Miami Miami – I always go back to telling people when I was in high school why I chose Miami,” Cristobal said. “It wasn’t because of the building or palm trees, wasn’t because of the nice weather. It was I was addicted to coming to practice and watching Michael Irvin and Bennie Blades annihilate each other at practice and Jerome Brown and Gregg Rakoczy go at it nonstop, Alonzo Highsmith, Rod Carter. It was a culture that pushed and worked to a level that they knew when they hopped on a bus or a plane on Friday they were not going to be beat. I mean, they just loved competing, they loved practicing, loved work. That’s what made Miami Miami. You look throughout the years, yeah it was a strong contingent of local players but it was also a very nationally recruited team in all kinds of different spots.

“You fast-forward into modern day, you have all kinds of things. Now we are building this unbelievable new facility, you have a private school education that is top tier, an NIL program that is second to none and you have the ability now to bring in all these coaches and rebuild it the right way, rebuild it to last. Miami shouldn’t have slipped. I’ve been gone for a long time, man, you know? The opportunity to come back and rebuild it along with all these other people the right way is something that it’s always been a tremendous goal and requires every ounce of my existence. I’m all about it, blessed to have the opportunity. I’m looking froward to step by step and piece by piece working us into being a prominent and eventually one of the best programs in the country.”