On Dec. 6, 2021, Mario Cristobal was named the 23rd head coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team, looking to take his alma mater back to national relevance after nearly two decades of failure.
Four years later, on New Year’s Eve, Cristobal and his team stood on the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, raising the Field Scovell Trophy as confetti rained down.
On the night of Wednesday, Dec. 31, the Hurricanes won their biggest game in 23 years, taking down the reigning National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes 24-14 in the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.