Mario Cristobal signed a 10-year, $80 million contract with the Miami Hurricanes in 2021 when he became head coach, and he has since returned the program to prominence.
This season, Cristobal’s team fell just short in the national championship against the Indiana Hoosiers, marking three consecutive College Football Playoff wins under his leadership.
While Cristobal appears fully committed to the Hurricanes and building a sustainable culture, success inevitably draws attention. According to NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, one NFL franchise — the Pittsburgh Steelers, who recently saw longtime head coach Mike Tomlin step down — has expressed interest in Cristobal as a potential head coach.
At this time, Cristobal has given no indication that he is considering an NFL job or any opportunity outside of Miami.
“Not out here trying to play reporter or do any of that nonsense, but I hear the Steelers are very interested in Mario Cristobal, the coach at the University of Miami,” Baldinger said during an appearance on The Best Football Show Podcast. “I think Mario Cristobal would really translate to the NFL. I watched his practice in the spring. The way Mario coached that team reminded me of what old-school coaches used to do.”
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Cristobal has never coached at the NFL level in any capacity, so making the jump — even to a successful, well-run organization like the Steelers — would be an extremely challenging task. Considering what he’s building at Miami, including a near-miss in the national championship that ended on a late-game interception, it seems like a long shot that Pittsburgh could lure him away from the collegiate ranks.
Additionally, Cristobal is under contract with the Hurricanes through 2031, meaning any departure would come with significant financial implications.
The Steelers are deep into their head coaching search, which is unusual for the organization. In franchise history, they’ve never fired a coach — head coaches have always left on their own terms. That stability could make the job appealing to potential candidates, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the roster heading into the offseason, particularly at quarterback.
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