At the turn of the millennium, Miami ruled college football. The choice was simple for recruits: play for them, or get beat by them.
But after their late 90’s to early 2000’s championship runs, the Hurricanes’ dominance and recruiting edge began to fade. Now, two decades later, Miami is clawing back with head coach Mario Cristobal leading the charge.
Miami’s downfall stemmed from a mix of factors, the first being their on-field performance.
While head coach Larry Coker’s tenure started out hot, it quickly cooled off. While Miami still landed top-tier talent, many recruits failed to meet expectations. Prospects who were almost guaranteed to be future Sunday stars like Willie Williams never lived up to their potential, hurting UM’s on-field performances.
From 2006 to 2021, Miami only recorded one season with double-digit wins and rolled through a carousel of coaches from Randy Shannon to Manny Diaz.
As their on-field performance dwindled, the identity behind The U went with it. This led local talent, which used to yearn to play at Miami, to start getting poached by powerhouse SEC schools, such as Alabama and Georgia.
In dire need of a jumpstart to their dormant giant of a football program, the Hurricanes brought in former player and master recruiter Mario Cristobal to lead the next generation of ’Canes.
Cristobal, a Miami native and ’Cane himself, was an offensive lineman at UM from 1989 to 1992, where he won two national championships during his tenure.
After a brief stint playing pro, Cristobal returned to The U as a graduate assistant, jumpstarting a decorated coaching career. His coaching career can be defined by one famous football phrase, made popular by his former coach Jimmy Johnson, “It’s not about the X’s and the O’s it’s about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.”
Cristobal’s first taste of success as a head coach came right down the road from UM at FIU.
Instead of landing blue-chip talent, Cristobal had to find diamonds in the rough due to the small size of the FIU program. His most notable recruitment was three-star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who blossomed into an outstanding collegiate player and NFL star. Cristobal’s work at FIU transformed the program from a struggling bottom-feeder to 2010 Sun Belt champions.
After proving his head coaching credentials at FIU, Cristobal joined Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama — a masterclass in recruiting and program-building. Cristobal learned priceless lessons from Saban on both recruiting and coaching, which helped him earn 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year in 2015.
After his stint at Alabama, Cristobal went across the country to Oregon. He turned the Ducks into a recruiting giant, landing the highest-rated classes in school history alongside winning two Pac-12 Championships.
His story came full circle in 2022, as Miami brought him on as head coach, the latest attempt at bringing back the swagger and culture of The U.
Cristobal started off with what he knew best; recruiting. In 2023, he landed five-star lineman Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, which established his philosophy built on physicality and toughness, while also showing his recruiting capabilities.
Cristobal also prioritized keeping South Florida talent home, as he has built relationships with countless high-caliber high schools and coaches in the area.
The last huge reason for Miami’s recruiting success as of late is name, image and likeness. Cristobal and the ’Canes have embraced the ability to give student-athletes compensation for their play, and are using it to their advantage in recruiting.
Cristobal’s most recent use of NIL was in early 2025, when former Georgia star quarterback Carson Beck transferred to Miami instead of opting for the NFL Draft. According to multiple reports from sources such as Sports Illustrated and Athlon Sports, Beck is making an estimated three to five million dollars in NIL. Miami had the money to spend and used it on the best player available in the transfer portal.
With the Hurricanes undefeated and ranked in the top two in the AP Poll, their flair and presence remind fans of the legendary teams of the 80s and early 2000s. The energy inside Hard Rock Stadium on Saturdays is electric, and feels like games back in the Orange Bowl during Miami’s heyday.
As stated by ESPN personality Pat Macafee, “The U is Back!”
The rest of the country better get used to it.
