Mario Cristobal - Football Coach - University of Oregon Athletics

Mario Cristobal

Title:
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line

In just three seasons leading Oregon football, Mario Cristobal has established a culture built on physicality and taken a relentless approach to re-establishing the Ducks as a dominant program in the Pac-12 Conference, on the recruiting trail and in future national championship races.

Backed by the most wins (25) in the Pac-12 over the last three seasons, Oregon has quickly felt the results of Cristobal’s vision that has seen the Ducks capture back-to-back Pac-12 Conference Championships (2019 & 2020) to along with a 2020 Rose Bowl title.

Possessing more than 20 years of coaching experience, including nine as an FBS head coach, Cristobal was named the 34th head coach in Oregon history on Dec. 8, 2017, after spending the 2017 season as Oregon’s co-offensive coordinator, run-game coordinator and offensive line coach.

Oregon’s 12-2 record in 2019 marked the program’s fifth season with 12 or more wins, while Cristobal is one of 11 current FBS head coaches to win 20-plus games over his first two seasons leading a Power 5 program. Oregon’s 21 combined wins in 2018 and 2019 were one more than the total from the previous three seasons prior to Cristobal taking over as head coach.

Cristobal’s ability to land the Pac-12’s top recruiting class back-to-back-to-back years (2019, 2020 & 2021) and emphasis on player development has resulted in Oregon fielding one of the most talented rosters in the nation. Through Cristobal’s first three seasons, Oregon has produced 37 all-conference selections, 13 NFL Draft choices and six All-Americans, highlighted by three national award winners.

Owning an extensive track record of success as one of the nation’s best offensive line coaches and most elite recruiters, Cristobal has coached or recruited four of the last five Outland Trophy winners. In 2019, Oregon sophomore Penei Sewell became the first underclassman offensive lineman and first player in program history to win the Outland Trophy. Cristobal coached an All-American offensive lineman in seven consecutive seasons prior to 2020, highlighted by three in 2019.

As a head coach, assistant coach or player, Cristobal has been to and won five of the New Year’s Six bowl games, highlighted by two national championships as a player at Miami (1989 & 1991) and another as the assistant head coach at Alabama (2015).

BACK-TO-BACK PAC-12 CHAMPS
In a year unlike any other, Cristobal led the Ducks back to the top of the Pac-12 Conference.

The discipline and commitment of Cristobal’s program was tested like never before, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the most unique season in college football history. Oregon played just seven games – all without fans in the stands – but the Ducks celebrated a conference title for the second year in a row.

Starting the season in November, the Ducks got off to a 3-0 start before dropping back-to-back road contests. A December matchup against Washington in Autzen Stadium was set to determine the winner of the Pac-12 North, but the game was ruled a no-contest due to health and safety issues within the Huskies program.

Shortly after, a week that began with the Ducks preparing to face Colorado ended with Oregon celebrating a second straight Pac-12 championship following a win at USC. Washington was forced out of the game due to continued protocol issues, and the Ducks stepped in and took care of business against the Trojans. The victory came one day after Cristobal signed a contract extension and two days after he secured the highest-rated recruiting class in program history.

Oregon’s defense stole the show in the Pac-12 Championship Game, limiting the Trojans to just 38 rushing yards. Game MVP Kayvon Thibodeaux hounded USC quarterback Kedon Slovis all night, and nickel Jamal Hill picked off a pair of passes. The Ducks’ defense held USC to just 10 points in the second half, including a lone field goal in the third quarter.

The Ducks’ Pac-12 title secured the program’s third-ever appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, Oregon’s fourth straight bowl trip under Cristobal and second in a New Year’s Six game.

Oregon finished the season with 12 players earning all-conference recognition, and Thibodeaux won the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12’s top offensive or defensive lineman. Thibodeaux also received all-America honors, and linebacker Noah Sewell was named a freshman all-American.

Following the season, Cristobal saw five players get taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. Left tackle Penei Sewell – who opted out of the 2020 season – became Oregon’s second consecutive top-10 selection, going No. 7 overall to the Detroit Lions. Saftey Jevon Holland went to Miami at No. 36 overall, the first of four defensive backs drafted for the Ducks to make Oregon one of just 13 teams in the common draft era to have four DBs taken in the same year.

YEAR TWO COMES UP ROSES
The fifth 12-win campaign in program history — in just the second year under Cristobal’s guidance — marked an eight-game improvement in just three seasons for Oregon.

The culture that Cristobal, his staff and players built over the previous 20 months resulted in a nine-game win streak in 2019 following a tough opening-game loss to Auburn. Included in the nine-game win streak was a 7-0 start to Pac-12 play that featured wins at Stanford, at Washington and at USC in the same season for the first time in program history.

Just days shy of his two-year anniversary of taking over as head coach at Oregon, Cristobal led the Ducks as they represented the North Division with a convincing 37-15 win over Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The win embodied Oregon’s 12-win season, as the Ducks powered their way to the most points (37) given up by the Utes, while it limited Utah to a season lows in points (15) and total yards (309).

Cristobal was named the Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading Oregon to the North Division title and championship game that earned the program its eighth trip to the Rose Bowl. Much like the Pac-12 Championship Game, Oregon used its physicality to earn a 28-27 win over No. 8 Wisconsin for its second consecutive win over a top-10 team. With the win, Cristobal became just the 20th head coach to win the Rose Bowl in his first or second year with that program.

Oregon closed the season at No. 5 in the final AP Top 25 poll and its balance on both sides of the ball helped it finish as one of six FBS teams to rank in the top 16 nationally in both scoring defense (9th – 16.5) and scoring offense (16th – 35.4). The 16.5 points allowed per game is the lowest in Oregon history since 1966.

To go along with his Outland Trophy, Sewell was named the Polynesian College Football Co-Player of the Year as well as a unanimous first-team All-American, just the third in program history. Seniors Shane Lemieux and Calvin Throckmorton also earned All-America honors along the offensive line with Sewell for the second straight year, while Kayvon Thibodeaux represented the defense by being named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Prior to being taken sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers, senior quarterback Justin Herbert swept all the sport’s academic honors at both a national and conference level, highlighted by the William V. Campbell Trophy. Herbert, who played three of his four seasons with Cristobal on staff, finished first or second in Oregon history in nearly every passing category. Herbert was one of four Ducks taken in the NFL Draft along with Troy Dye (Minnesota Vikings), Shane Lemieux (New York Giants) and Jake Hanson (Green Bay Packers). Oregon is one of two Pac-12 programs with four or more players selected in each of the last two NFL Drafts.

ESTABLISHING A CULTURE
In Cristobal’s first season as head coach, Oregon’s focus on culture and development helped play a big part in the program’s first three-game win streak to close a season since 2011, highlighted by the Redbox Bowl victory over Michigan State. The Ducks’ 5-1 start featured back-to-back ranked wins at California and against Washington, as the 9-4 campaign marked the third-most victories by a first-year head coach at Oregon.

One of four FBS first-year head coaches to win a bowl game in 2018, Cristobal’s vision of an offense that prides itself on a balance of power and speed helped Oregon finish the season as one of nine FBS teams with a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver. Oregon ranked 17th nationally in scoring offense (37.2 ppg) during the regular season and displayed the grit Cristobal is instilling with its 7-6 win over Michigan State to close the season. It marked the fewest points given up by Oregon in a bowl game since the 1917 Rose Bowl.

Cristobal’s emphasis on player development yielded 11 Pac-12 All-Conference selections and three All-Americans along the offensive line in Lemieux, Throckmorton and Sewell. Senior defensive back Ugochukwu Amadi became the first player in program history to win the Lombardi Award, which is given to the top FBS player regardless of position. Amadi was one of four Ducks selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.

In Cristobal’s first year at Oregon as co-offensive coordinator, the run-game was a major factor in the up-tempo Duck offense that tied for the Pac-12 lead with seven 40-point performances. The Ducks scored 40 rushing touchdowns during Cristobal’s first season, the most since 2014. Royce Freeman ranked 11th nationally with 1,475 rushing yards and tied for 12th with 16 rushing touchdowns. The Ducks finished the regular season with more than 3,000 yards on the ground, averaging 268 yards rushing per game. The Ducks’ rushing offense ranked eighth in the FBS at the end of the regular season.

Cristobal’s streak with an offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft extended to five consecutive years when senior left tackle Tyrell Crosby was taken by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, while Freeman was taken in the third round by the Denver Broncos. Under Cristobal, Crosby allowed only three quarterback hurries and no sacks on his way to being named the recipient of the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12.

RECRUITING AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL
Named the National Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports in the 2015 cycle at Alabama and ranked No. 2 nationally in 2016 at the time of his hiring, Cristobal has Oregon recruiting at a level it never has before.

Cristobal led Oregon’s relentless effort to sign the nation’s No. 13 class in 2018 according to 247Sports, just under two months after being named the head coach. A year later, Cristobal and his staff landed the then-highest-ranked class in program history at No. 6 by ESPN and Rivals and backed it with the No. 9 class (Rivals) in 2020.
Cristobal and his staff took it to the next level with the 2021 class, making program history with the No. 3 ranked class in the nation according to Rivals. The elite class is No. 8 in the country according to ESPN.

Oregon is one of three Power 5 programs to land the top class in its conference each of the last three years, while the 2019 class was its first-ever to be the highest ranked in the Pac-12. Cristobal and his staff have landed 45 ESPN300 signees over the last four classes, and the 2021 class features six players rated No. 1 in their respective home states.

Dating back to his arrival at Alabama, Cristobal has led or been part of a staff that has landed a top-15 recruiting class nationally eight consecutive years with seven of those being the top in that respective conference and seven in the top 10. His 2015 class at Alabama included 2018 NFL first-round picks Minkah Fitzpatrick (Miami Dolphins), Daron Payne (Washington Redskins) and Calvin Ridley (Atlanta Falcons).

A MASTER’S DEGREE IN COACHING
Prior to arriving in Eugene, Cristobal spent four seasons (2013-16) at Alabama as the assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach Nick Saban, helping the Crimson Tide to the CFP National Championship in 2015, as well as a runner-up finish the next season.

Cristobal’s offensive lines at Alabama produced a plethora of standout players and NFL draft picks. Over Cristobal’s four seasons, five Alabama offensive linemen were selected in the NFL Draft, good for a tie for the second-most from one program over that span. Included were three in the top two rounds, highlighted by a 2016 first-round selection Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis Colts).

In each of his four seasons, a different offensive lineman earned first-team All-America honors, while Kelly won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2015. The following year, Cam Robinson claimed the Outland Trophy. Both Kelly and Robinson won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC’s top offensive lineman.

In 2015, Cristobal’s offensive line unit won the inaugural Joe Moore Award as the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in college football. The physically-dominating group helped Derrick Henry break Herschel Walker’s SEC single-season rushing record en route to winning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award.

Alabama’s offense ranked in the top 25 nationally in time of possession three times and in rushing twice from 2013-16. The Crimson Tide also had the SEC Player of the Year three times over that span in Amari Cooper (2014), Henry (2015) and Jalen Hurts (2016).

TURNING AROUND A PROGRAM
The first Cuban-American head coach in FBS history, Cristobal spent six seasons (2007-12) as the head coach at Florida International (FIU), solidifying his standing as one of the country’s top young college football coaches and recruiters after taking over a program under heavy NCAA sanctions and coming off a winless season.

Cristobal led the Panthers to the most successful year in school history in 2011, capturing a then program-record eight wins, including a road win at eventual co-Big East Champion Louisville.

Cristobal was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading FIU to its first Sun Belt Conference championship and a bowl victory over MAC champion Toledo, and he finished his FIU career having produced NFL talents such as T.Y. Hilton and Jonathan Cyprien.

FROM PLAYER TO COACH
Cristobal began his coaching career in 1998 as a graduate assistant at Miami, working with the Hurricanes for three seasons under Butch Davis. He joined the Hurricanes’ staff six years after finishing a four-year playing career at Miami.

Following his first stint at Miami as a coach, Cristobal spent three years (2001-03) at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano, working with the offensive tackles and tight ends for the first two seasons before shifting his focus solely to the offensive line in 2003. Cristobal was a critical factor in Rutgers’ resurgence to competitiveness and helped lay the foundation in recruiting and coaching for a program that went from obscurity to college football’s upper echelon in a matter of five years. One of Cristobal’s most accomplished pupils was tight end L.J. Smith, the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Cristobal returned to his alma mater in 2004 to coach three seasons under Larry Coker before accepting the head job at FIU. As the tight ends coach for the 2004 and 2005 seasons, he helped develop multiple players into NFL draft picks, including first-round pick and All-Pro Greg Olsen. In 2006, Cristobal took over a Miami offensive line that featured four new starters and saw a 39 percent decrease in sacks allowed from the previous season (36 to 22).

PLAYING CAREER & PERSONAL
A standout offensive lineman under Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson, Cristobal was a first-team All-Big East selection in 1992 and helped the Hurricanes to a pair of national championships (1989, 1991).

A native of Miami and a prep standout at Christopher Columbus High School, Cristobal graduated from Miami in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and later earned a master’s degree from Miami in 2001. Following his college career, Cristobal signed a free-agent contract with the Denver Broncos in 1994 and then played for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 1995 and 1996.

Cristobal and his wife, Jessica, were married in June 2006 and have two sons, Mario Mateo and Rocco.