Paul Myerberg of USA Today ranked Mario Cristobal seventh among the College Football Playoff head coaches. That is three spots ahead of Miami's 10th seed in the CFB. Cristobal has methodically built Miami into a perennial CFP contender.
Miami finished 5-7 in the inaugual season under Cristobal in 2022, 7-6 and lost in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2023 and 10-3 with a defeat to Iowa State in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Hurricanes finished 13th in the final 2024 CFP standings to miss earning a berth by a few places.
Cristobal has led Miami to a 32-18 record in four seasons as head coach.