The Miami Hurricanes take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night, Nov. 7, in South Bend, Ind.
The Canes defeated the Fighting Irish last season at Hard Rock Stadium, 27-24, which eventually became a determining factor in advancing the Canes to the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.
And with all the talk about the talent on the field with superstars in Malachi Toney, Leonard Moore, Darian Mensah and CJ Carr; the coaches dictating the game on the sideline get overlooked.
Mario Cristobal, a Hurricane national champion as a player, has been making history since he returned home to become Miami’s head coach back in 2022. Cristobal has turned the program around, increasing his win count every season at the helm and taking Miami all the way to a national championship appearance last season.
And with his efforts in recruiting and talent acquisition, it doesn’t look like the momentum will stop anytime soon.
Notre Dame’s head coach, Marcus Freeman, didn’t have the same storybook path to the coaching seat.
Also a former letterman, Freeman played linebacker for four years at Ohio State ahead of an NFL career with stops in Chicago, Buffalo and Houston.After his NFL career, Freeman worked his way up the coaching ladder as a linebackers coach for Kent State and Purdue, defensive coordinator with Cincinnati and Notre Dame before getting elevated to head coach in December 2021.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, let’s look at the tenure of both heralded coaches:
Cristobal’s stats as Canes head coach:
Cristobal came from Oregon to Miami in 2022 and took the team from 5-7 in his first year to 7-6 in 2023, improving to 10-3 in 2024, and 13-3 in 2025.
Now, the team is 8-0 and ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in 24 years.
His resume doesn’t stop there.
Under Cristobal, Cam Ward was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL, and in this past draft, 10 Hurricanes players were drafted.
When one looks at Cristobal’s face at a Hurricanes game, his intensity, passion and fury is clear.
He pushes the players to win every game, regardless of where or who they are facing. As he described it: “It’s a Canes thing, you wouldn’t understand.”
Freeman’s stats as Notre Dame head coach:
Marcus Freeman has done nothing but win since he became Notre Dame’s head coach in late December 2021.
In his first full season in 2022, he started the season with a 9-4 record, followed by 14-2 in 2024 and a national championship appearance. After narrowly missing the playoffs with a 10-2 record in 2025, the Fighting Irish are currently 7-1, ranked No. 4 in the AP poll.