CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Mario Cristobal told Butch Davis he’d be here, sitting in the ultimate position of power as Miami’s head football coach. The proclamation came a quarter century ago. Cristobal, one of the heaviest of heavyweight coaches these days, was interviewing to become a graduate assistant at his alma mater.
“What do you want out of this?” asked Davis, then the Hurricanes coach.
“I want to be in your seat,” Cristobal replied.
“What do you mean?” countered the coach with three Super Bowl titles to his name.
“I want to be head coach at the University of Miami,” Cristobal said.
That was 1997. Cristobal was making the move from public relations to coaching. Davis was busy dragging his program out of a crippling NCAA probation. Before leaving for the NFL in 2001, Davis stocked the roster with some of the best collegiate talent of all time.
In December 2021, Cristobal finally filled that seat he had coveted for so long. It’s come 20 years after the Canes’ last national championship. Actually, it’s come because it’s been 20 years since the Canes’ last national championship.
The school has chased Davis’ legacy for that long. Five coaches have come and gone since 2001. Larry Coker won a championship with Davis’ players but didn’t sustain success long enough. There was Randy Shannon, Al Golden, Mark Richt and Manny Diaz.
Something changed when the administration decided to go all-in on Cristobal last year. The 51-year-old former Miami offensive lineman with two national championship rings was conflicted before ultimately deciding to leave Oregon after a highly successful five-year stay.
“I was not leaving until [Miami] was designed to be a championship program,” Cristobal said. “Without that, there is no reason.”
The new coach…
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