Is Mario Cristobal leaving the Oregon Ducks to take the head coaching job with the Miami Hurricanes?
That’s the question of the hour in both Eugene, Oregon, and Coral Gables, Florida and the answer appears to be…no one knows.
It’s been no secret that Miami has been putting on the full-court press to get Cristobal to come to Florida despite the fact that they still have a head coach in Manny Diaz. Meanwhile, Oregon has reportedly been offered an extension to remain at Oregon, where he is 35-13 in a little over four seasons, including a 12-2 record and Rose Bowl win in 2019. The Ducks lost the Pac-12 Championship Game last weekend but are 10-3 and will play in a bowl game in a few weeks.
While Miami is doing everything they can and apparently throwing everything at Cristobal to get him, all reports so far are that he remains undecided about what to do.
Sources: While Mario Cristobal is perhaps the leading candidate at Miami, sources close to the situation indicate he is still weighing his options. As of now, Cristobal still considering potential extension from Oregon. Made such comments Friday night.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 5, 2021
Mario is being given everything he wants if he joins UM. I personally am not taking the step of saying he's definitely coming (same with Radakovich) because neither has SIGNED. Canes hoping to wrap up everything today ideally or tomorrow at latest. https://t.co/jodJBqcXRr
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 5, 2021
Miami is in extensive discussions with Oregon's Mario Cristobal to make him the next Hurricanes football coach, sources told @ClowESPN and @ESPNRittenberg on Sunday.
Miami has not fired coach Manny Diaz, who continues to recruit for the school along with his assistants. pic.twitter.com/bUfFyxXZ5c
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 5, 2021
It continues to be a strange situation where Diaz is still employed as the head coach and is out recruiting for Miami, but Cristobal clearly has interest and, as soon as he signs, Diaz will be fired. What a weird business. No wonder guys like Brian Kelly just up and leave while they can.
Meanwhile, the news and rumors surrounding the reports have a lot of people in the college football world talking, wondering how it’s all going to play out.
Maybe Mario is working Miami in order to work Oregon so he can further work Miami and so on. https://t.co/u4OnlMQA0A
— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) December 5, 2021
He knows Oregon's offer, which would seem to make this a matter of the heart. https://t.co/Rx8yhFSAM4
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) December 5, 2021
I've been told Mario Cristobal has not been committal with Oregon staff members recently about his future. Could be a weird Sunday.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 5, 2021
Mario Cristobal texted with key Oregon Ducks recruit this morning and told him he hadn’t made a decision yet on his future, referring to either Miami job or Oregon extension. Open-ended nature of short convo left recruit feeling Mario wasn’t his typical recruiting self.
— Andrew Nemec (@AndrewNemec) December 5, 2021
Miami courting and hiring Mario Cristobal without firing Manny Diaz yet might seem cruel. But college football is just a business – like when Manny Diaz was the head coach at Temple for about two weeks before leaving for the Hurricanes job.
— C. Austin Cox (@CAustinCox) December 5, 2021
The coaching carousel is a truly wild one this season and we’re just barely into December. If Cristobal does leave Oregon for Miami, that will create another massive opportunity, which itself will likely be filled by a coach who leaves a huge gap behind as well. It just keeps spinning and spinning.
