University of Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal has been called to testify in the upcoming retrial of former Hurricanes player Rashaun Jones.
Jones is accused of murdering teammate Bryan Pata nearly 20 years ago.
Defense attorneys confirmed this week that they plan to depose both Cristobal and former Miami head coach Larry Coker ahead of the retrial, which is currently scheduled to begin on Sept. 14.
Cristobal was an assistant coach at Miami when Pata was killed, and he remains one of the most recognizable figures in Hurricanes history. A former offensive tackle under Jimmy Johnson, Cristobal won two national championships with Miami in the late 1980s before beginning a coaching career that included stops at FIU, Alabama and Oregon.
Cristobal’s involvement as a witness adds another significant chapter to a case already deeply intertwined with the history of Miami football.
The retrial comes at a time where Miami football has returned to the national spotlight under Cristobal, who has led the team to a dramatic resurgence that included an appearance in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship against Indiana — the program’s deepest postseason run in more than two decades.
The case dates back to the 2006 killing of Pata, a standout defensive lineman and NFL prospect whose death became a lasting part of the program’s history.
Cristobal was part of Miami’s coaching staff at the time and was around the program during the immediate aftermath of Pata’s death.
Jones — a former Miami defensive back who played alongside Pata during Cristobal’s tenure as an assistant coach — was arrested and charged with Pata’s murder in 2021. Prosecutors allege longstanding tension between the two teammates escalated in the weeks before Pata’s death.
Jones has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
The first trial in March ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict, and prosecutors quickly announced plans to retry the case.
The retrial was originally expected to begin in May, but Circuit Judge Cristina Miranda postponed proceedings after defense attorneys filed emergency motions alleging investigative and prosecutorial misconduct.
Interest in the case has intensified in recent years following renewed media attention, including ESPN’s “Murder at The U” podcast series, which revisited the investigation and uncovered new information surrounding witnesses and evidence tied to Pata’s death.
With the new retrial date overlapping with the upcoming football season, Cristobal’s expected testimony once again places the decades-old case alongside one of the most visible periods in recent Miami football history under his leadership.
The Miami Hurricane reached out to the University and its athletics department for comment but has not yet received a response.