newspub_live
The University of Miami and head football coach Mario Cristobal have reached an agreement on a long-term contract extension, a source with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed on Monday. The source, who requested anonymity because the deal is not yet finalized, did not disclose the length or financial terms of the extension. As a private institution, Miami is not obligated to make the contract public.
The news was first reported by On3. Under Cristobal, the Hurricanes have compiled a 35-19 record over four seasons, culminating in a 13-3 campaign that saw them reach the College Football Playoff championship game as a No. 10 seed, where they fell to top-seeded Indiana, 27-21.
Miami is currently in the midst of an athletic director search following Dan Radakovich's retirement on June 1. The incoming AD is expected to focus primarily on revenue generation, allowing Cristobal considerable autonomy in running the football program. According to The Athletic, four candidates have been invited for in-person interviews after the initial round, with CAA leading the search and prioritizing candidates with professional sports backgrounds.
Key Analysis
Cristobal originally signed a 10-year, $80 million deal when he arrived in Miami in December 2021. The new extension is likely to bring his compensation closer to the top of the college football coaching market, where figures like Georgia's Kirby Smart, Indiana's Curt Cignetti, and LSU's Lane Kiffin earn around $13 million annually. Cristobal's overall record against ranked opponents stands at 15-14 since leaving his assistant role under Nick Saban at Alabama to take over Oregon in 2017. He moved to Miami ahead of the 2022 season.
While Cristobal has a 57-21 record when coaching a ranked team, he has suffered 11 losses to unranked opponents, with at least one such defeat in each of the past eight seasons. Before his stints at Oregon and Miami, he spent six seasons as head coach at Florida International, posting a 27-47 record from 2007 to 2012.
Originally reported by newspub_live.