A PATH FORGED BY FAMILY

Miami coach channels parents' grit, work ethic to put Hurricanes back into the spotlight

- BY TIM REYNOLDS

MARIO CRISTOBAL'S mantra -- go 1-0 this week -- has helped improve Miami's fortunes since he began coaching the team in 2022.

(COLIN HACKLEY Associated Press)

Luis Cristobal Sr. was always juggling at least two jobs. Clara Cristobal worked at an auto dealership well into her 70s. The Cuban Americans, who didn’t know English when they came to the U.S, were proud of their heritage, the sort of people who embraced hard work, saved their highest respect for others cut from the same cloth and tried to set the right example as parents.

It wasn’t easy for their kids. Mario Cristobal makes no secret about that.

"Grades had to be a certain way and there was no straying from doing the right thing," Cristobal said. "And we weren't perfect, but we had unbelievable, hard-nosed, tough and demanding parents that we maybe didn’t understand at the time but today we're extremely grateful for.”

He is the coach at the University of Miami and he runs his team the way his parents ran their family. Hard-nosed. Tough. Demanding.

Luis and Clara had plans and hope, trying to build a life. They got there. Mario Cristobal came back to Miami four years ago with a plan and with hope, looking to build a champion. He could get there Monday night when his Hurricanes play Indiana in the College Football Playoff championship game at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami's home field.