In 2017, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal inherited a program surrounded by uncertainty. The departure of Willie Taggert left Ducks fans scratching their heads. Through the madness, Cristobal, who’d been an offensive line coach under Taggert, was given a shot at something bigger: a head coaching job.
Three winning seasons later, with two Pac-12 championships under his belt, a Rose Bowl victory in tow, a Pac-12 Coach of the Year award in pocket and a six-year extension etched in stone, one thing has become certain: the Cristobal experiment has passed with flying colors.
For Cristobal, it’s been one heck of a ride and a long, winding road to this spotlight.
After finishing out a four-year playing career at the University of Miami in 1992, Cristobal had brief stints with the Denver Broncos and the Amsterdam Admirals before returning to Miami, where he began his coaching journey as a graduate assistant under Butch Davis in 1998.
Cristobal held brief assignments coaching the offensive linemen at Rutgers and Miami in the years to follow, and in 2006, earned his first head coaching position at Florida International University.
At 36 years old, Cristobal was named just the second head coach in the very brief history of the Panthers’ program. The team, granted Division 1 status in 2002, had a record of 5-41 through its first five seasons and went completely winless in 2005. In came Cristobal, and with him, an entirely new coaching staff hungry to take the program to new heights.
In his six-year span at the helm, Cristobal guided FIU to two bowl game appearances and a 2010 conference championship win over Arkansas State, the first and only title in school history.
Following a 3-9 finish in 2012, Cristobal was relieved of his duties as the Panthers’ head coach. But with the end of the FIU chapter came a new, even more fruitful opportunity that would launch his resumé to the next level.
Cristobal returned to the University of Miami, acting as an associate head coach and tight ends coach with the Hurricanes. But just six weeks later, Alabama head coach Nick Saban came calling, and Cristobal was on his way to Tuscaloosa.
Joining the staff at Alabama as an assistant coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Cristobal was presented with a massive opportunity — and he delivered.
A former lineman himself, he became a guru of the trenches during his time coaching alongside Saban, producing several NFL draftees along the way.
“Mario is easily one of the most important men in my life since I met him,” Cam Robinson, an offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, told GoDucks.
After playing under Cristobal for three seasons at Alabama, Robinson, an Outland Trophy winner, was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft and was the third offensive tackle of the class to go off the table.
Alabama’s 2015 group won the Joe Moore award, an honor given to the nation’s best offensive line, and in his first two years, Cristobal’s offensive line ranked in the nation’s top 25 in fewest sacks allowed.
“I had him for three years, and he was one of the toughest coaches I have played for as far as work ethic goes,” Ryan Kelly, a center for the Indianapolis Colts, told GoDucks. “I don’t think I have ever been around a coach who put more into a game plan or into that week.”
Along with his on-the-field accolades, Cristobal made an equally impressive impact off the field in his recruiting prowess. After assuming the role, he quickly became an elite recruiter, sitting No. 1 nationally in 247Sports’ composite recruiting ranking in each of his four seasons with the Crimson Tide.
“He is an outstanding recruiter who works tirelessly at his craft,” Saban told GoDucks. “His players love to play for him, and he does a great job of putting them in a situation to be successful.”
After four seasons and one national title, it was time for Cristobal to move on. His tenure in Tuscaloosa granted him not only a significant resumé boost, but also an arsenal of transferable skills that he leveraged upon his arrival in Eugene.
He was brought on as an offensive line coach, but would soon be looking at something bigger.
Out went Taggert, and in came Cristobal.
Since assuming head coaching duties, Cristobal hasn’t wasted any time. Through his first three seasons, the Ducks hold two Pac-12 titles, two New Years’ six appearances, a Rose Bowl victory and a 24-9 record, sending several athletes on to the next level along the way.
A major key to sustainable success at the college level is recruiting ability, and it’s been a particular point of emphasis for the Ducks throughout the new era. Oregon has become a recruiting powerhouse under Cristobal, pulling in top-15 classes in each of the last four seasons.
For Ducks fans, this year may not have ended the way they’d wished. A Pac-12 title can never be bad, but this is a program with higher hopes and aspirations. Signing Cristobal to a six-year, multi-million dollar deal could be the first step toward a playoff berth, or even a national title. He’s building something special in Eugene, and good things come to those who wait.
