Feb 2, 2022; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mario Cristobal talks on a phone while sitting court-side during the second half between the Miami Hurricanes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Blue blood college football programs may fade for a few years but they almost always tend to return to the top. That was the case for the Michigan Wolverines this past season as they won the Big Ten, made the College Football Playoff, and reconfirmed Jim Harbaugh’s reputation for winning.

Harbaugh has done his best to undo all that goodwill in the past month, openly flirting with the NFL and reportedly hyping up interest in himself for the Minnesota Vikings job before retreating back to Michigan when it didn’t work out. And now some of the dominoes are starting to fall.

Sunday, Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator, Josh Gattis, left to take the same job with the Miami Hurricanes. It’s pretty unheard of for a coach who just won the Broyles Award for being the top assistant in the nation to leave for a lateral position the next season. And apparently, it might be not the last assistant to leave the program.

But on the flipside of Michigan’s troubles is the University of Miami, a former blue blood desperate to regain its foothold just as Michigan has. The school pulled out the big guns to hire Mario Cristobal away from Oregon and now he’s building a war chest of assistant coaches that could help bring the Canes back to glory sooner than expected. Along with Gattis, Cristobal also recently hired Kevin Steele to be his defensive coordinator, bringing with him 40 years of experience, much of which at the top schools in the nation.

The college football world is keenly aware of what’s happening at Miami and the way Cristobal seems to be winning in every way possible before his first season at the helm.

The U isn’t back just yet, but on paper, they sure seem to be on their way.

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.