“There is a culture that makes or breaks a team.”
Those initial words from Mario Cristobal at his first press conference in the spring football period were echoed throughout his press conference. He stated that by preaching better culture around the team it would improve the team’s play on the field.
In his first year at Oregon’s head football coach, Mario Cristobal wants the world to know his football team will be more disciplined and continue an upward trend.
Oregon’s spring game is scheduled for April 21st, and Cristobal and his staff have specific goals they want players to meet by that time.
Specifically, when asked about junior quarterback Justin Herbert and linebacker Troy Dye, he noted that they should come out of spring ball much better than how they entered it.
“Football always will be about development, and both guys are really good football players. … They’re just scratching the surface, in our opinion,” Cristobal said. “Both these guys have their best days ahead of them. … Good players must eventually become great players, and that’s what these guys need to become.”
“From a goal standpoint, big picture, one thing that stands out would be discipline. I think you saw it last year. We really hurt ourselves with the amount of penalties we had. And that’s on us.”
 
Much of the coaching staff are first timers in their position at Oregon. Cristobal emphasized that these new coaches were “vetted extensively” to make sure they fit the culture of the program.
“First and foremost being great people, having a great background in developing the student-athlete, high care factor guys and high level of expertise,” Cristobal said. “We’ve achieved that with the guy who’ve joined our staff.”
The revamped weightlifting program, under the direction of coach Aaron Feld, has excited a lot of players. Feld, previously the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Georgia, has ties to the University of Alabama and Nick Saban’s Fourth Quarter Program.
“The Oregon Fourth Quarter program has really taken off. It’s had a significant impact on the way our guys are developing. … Everything has a carryover.”
Cristobal emphasized that this new strength and conditioning program, meant to mentally challenge and bolster a player’s ability, is going to provide a difference they need at the disciplinary level.
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