Mario Cristobal gave multiple interviews at ACC Media Week on the state of Canes. Below is a compilation of all of his answers covering a wide range of topics.
On Cam Ward: His productivity as a player throughout his career is very well-documented. What really stands out in the short time we've been around him is he's an alpha leader. The reason everybody wanted him was his playmaking ability. Really accurate, great arm strength, ability to improvise, extend plays, a game changer. But what impressed us the most was whenever there was a bad play, his ability to bounce back and make things right. His aggressive, competitive nature to come back and make up for a negative play, was really, really impressive.
We needed that, at that position particularly. We felt the O-line was going to be a strong point of the program. We felt the skill positions and the backfield were going to be really good. And that we're going to have a good defensive front that can get after the passer. We could stop the run. So that guy (the QB) had to be a real deal dude. We felt that from him and he hasn't disappointed. He's exceeded expectations.
On Ward’s leadership: He gets right to it. There's no dancing around it. There's no fluff. He's a leader by his actions. To him, standards equal actions. And he backs it up with performance. Any free time, he's in the building. If he has to sit there and drag up the entire wide receiver corps, he's going to do so. He’s going to hold himself just as accountable as he does the other guys. All in all, it's what you want at the helm at that position. And he’s backed up by some really talented guys at the line of scrimmage and on the perimeter.
Cam is a product of his family. He's a reflection of his upbringing to the T. From the moment he stepped on campus, he made it a point to show everybody, “Look, I know I have a lot of hype and acclaim to my name, but I'm going to show you by how I work and how I perform.” You can't find moments where that guy's not in the building. Sometimes I ask him, “Don't you have class?” But he's always in there.
You know what he is? He's a great wide receiver coach. Because that guy will find time to drag those guys in there and meet with them. individually and as a group, stay with them after practice on the field and talk precisely as to what he's looking at, what he sees, what the expectation is. He holds himself to a high standard, they hold him to a high standard and he holds them to a high standard. It's a great relationship.
On NIL: We're not allowed to discuss NIL opportunities with people. I know this, if you don't play well, no one knows your name, your image stinks, no one likes you.
We not only have an excellent NIL program (Canes Connection), but one that is completely and utterly responsible and accountable all the time. They run it like an unbelievable business.
On winning close games: It's all about closing that gap. Year one, there was a pretty big gap. A lot of those games weren't close. In year two, we closed out a game like Clemson. We closed out games like Texas A&M and Virginia. But we didn't close out NC State. Down at the one-yard line, we fell short. We got down to the four-yard line against Louisville and we fell short.
Even though our total offense and total defense numbers improved, the areas of third down, red zone, penalties and turnovers are four areas where even modest improvement can make a big difference in the end result of those football games. I think the enhanced culture, resiliency, and talent levels of our roster are certainly going to help, as well as the continuity of our staff. Being able to evolve and maybe put a little bit more on the plate of our players. Doing simple better while still evolving is going to be a critical piece of our task.
On the defense: We made a lot of progress last year from a total defense standpoint, and really just about every statistical category. Part of that was just the caliber of player in the building had improved. We've bolstered that even more this offseason. When you have continuity at the defensive coordinator position, and most of our position coaches, that also bodes well. Kiko Mauigoa is a big reason why, as a leader of that defense. He’s surrounded by people that are driven, hungry, that want to be there and want to be really good. We took a good step last year, and we expect to take an even bigger one this year.
On the progression of the team: There’s a starting point for everything. The starting point at Miami was making sure that we enhance the caliber of talent in the locker room, that we increase the level and capabilities of the coaching staff, and that we blend in the strongest and most unbreakable culture that we can. We’ve been at it for two years, so systems are growing, players are developing, people are there for the right reasons. Growth and development, hard work and good people is a very strong combination.
We feel awesome about the people in the building. These guys run to the work. They run to the fight. They're awesome to be around. It's awesome to sit back and watch them work. It lets you go home and feel good knowing that no matter what, these guys are ready and willing to show up. They're driven to win. They're team-goal oriented.
On the progression of the team’s physicality: We took a significant step last year. Just about every game was down to the fourth quarter, even the final possession. We feel like we've taken another step, both in the development of the frontline guys, and then competitive depth. Guys are legitimately competing for starting spots, or being rotational players, That’s led to a great offseason and a great spring. We expect to be better and better up front, and with a guy like Cam at the helm, it bodes well for us.
On the offensive line: Coach Mirabal dual trains everybody. The versatility of our offensive line is really unique. Everybody plays the right side, the left side, inside and out. About five guys take significant center snaps during camp. That allows for a lot of movement, a lot of rotation, and also some great fail-safe plans in case the injury bug hits us.
They’re a really confident, hardworking, aggressive, high-culture group. They're a lot of fun to be around, but man, they grind. They finish blocks and elevate the standards of our program.
On Jalen Rivers: He is a complete pro, from top to bottom. As a leader, as a competitor, as a mentor to the younger guys, and in his approach to his craft. That guy's going to play a long, long time. He's going to be successful in everything he does in life. He's the right kind of guy. He's exactly what you want your own son to be.
On the defensive line: Really excited about the defensive line. We've had additions from a health standpoint. Guys like Josh Horton are finally healthy. Akheem Mesidor is finally healthy. He's a big-time player. We’ve had some uber-talented freshmen join us, and then some really talented portal guys join us as well. Guys that are versatile. You’ve got guys that have played on the edge and have played inside, bounce around as a three technique on third down, go in there as a nose tackle on first and second down.
We have a lot of pieces you can move around in case of injury, or if we just want to keep guys fresh and rotate them. They're competitors and they're physical guys that are going to be going against a physical offensive line. By the end of camp, we'll be a little bit sore and beat up, but we'll be better, because iron sharpens iron. It's going to be a real thing, finally, for us at the University of Miami.
On Damien Martinez: Big, strong, powerful guy that can flat out go. If you get a chance, watch his film when he was at Oregon State. Whether it was wide zone, tight zone, duo, pin and pull, he does it all. Protection-wise, screen game, just a big physical guy. First contact for him is usually contact plus two. He churns his legs through contact. He finds a way to get extra yards.
That running back room is really good right now. Ajay Allen is back healthy. Mark Fletcher is really close to being completely healthy. Chris Johnson had a great spring. Chris Wheatley-Humphrey. Jordan Lyle, hard to find a better freshman in the country than him. You got a lot of good pieces, and it's the way it should look.
On evaluating in the Portal: It's almost like the emergency room. You’ve got to be on call 24/7. When we started here, there weren't a ton of rising juniors and seniors that were the caliber of player you need to compete for championships. We do have a handful of unbelievable players that have been there for four and five years. They need to be complimented by guys going into their fourth and fifth year that have experience, that are mature, and that are impact players. It's a great blend.
When we already have the needs identified, and once those guys pop in the portal, you just go right at it. Assessment, evaluation, and character check. If it fits what we do – because we grind, we work hard, we play and practice very physically – then we're full throttle on it. We feel like we have hit in a big-time way on guys that are like-minded and match the characteristics we were looking for in those particular positions.
On the conversations with the quarterback room when he added Cam Ward: Transparent and honest, right to the point. There's no sidestepping this stuff. There's no sugarcoating it. There's a starting point for everything. Some areas required high-level talent as freshmen from the high schools. Other areas required portal additions. We’re very clear and transparent, and that avoids later misunderstandings. With those guys, competition is viewed as a good thing, not a threatening thing. The culture has taken another step.
On Cam Ward and Kiko Mauigoa wearing #1: They earned it. I've never handed out that number. I'm as old school as it gets. My high school coach is like Sensei Kreese from Cobra Kai. But they deserve it. They have the responsibility and the privilege and the honor to make sure that number means something.
On avoiding the outside hype: I don't think there's anything outside that could ever match our internal expectations. It's never going to be that way. This has been a life's calling. We came to Miami to make Miami what Miami is supposed to be. That's why we came, and we knew that it had to start in the locker room, at the coaching level, and the cultural level. Academics. It's been a full-throttle approach of just relentless, 24/7 work.
As you enter this year, you feel like a lot of those pieces are in place, that there's competitive depth at a lot of positions, that the culture's right. Academics are soaring. So a lot of things are going really, really well. There's a hunger and a drive coupled with humility that fits what we want to do.
Everybody talks about the first big game. It's a huge game and no one could deny that. We don't shy away from it. But our sole focus is on taking all the things we just talked about and now putting it to use in those meeting rooms, on the field, walkthroughs, academics and then to carry them over to game day.
On the impact former players have had on the team: At our alumni reunion, Michael Irvin hit them right between the eyes. He flat out told them, “If you can't help us win, I don't want to be your friend. If you're not willing to put in the time and the effort to make our program a winning program, I don't want you as part of our family. Nothing personal.” And I thank him, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Ray Lewis has been awesome, Greg Olsen, John Vilma, Jon Beason.
They're all over. We had 300+ alumni and they didn't speak about anything except culture and the work. Talent is great. We've been on talented teams that have done well, and some that have flopped. The exciting part is that these guys love to work.
On the Gator game: It’s a tremendous rivalry. I know our fan base and everybody's really incredibly fired up about that. But we're not going to be talking about the Florida Gators. We have training camp coming up. For us to be the best team that we can be on August 31, we have to have a great training camp. We have to improve our systems, our techniques, our fundamentals, our ability to communicate, to execute. Without any of that, nothing else is really possible. All focus is on Miami. In due time, we will be addressing our first game.
On protecting Cam Ward: Protecting the quarterback has always been the forefront of every place that we've been at. It starts with making sure that there's complete alignment between the coordinator and the offensive line coach, understanding what defenses do, what they do well, where their personnel advantages or disadvantages might be, and scheming our plan as it relates to that. To do that, you have to have good personnel up front, especially when you have a quarterback. [You want] to give them the right amount of time to operate within the system and sometimes improvise on their own.
We feel good about the personnel up front. We feel really good about the personnel outside on the perimeter and in the backfield. Cam's football IQ and his knowledge of protections – understanding where he is, where he isn't protected, how to get to a protection to make sure that he is –and everything that's built around it will allow him to be efficient, protected, and allows us to keep him upright.
On Shannon Dawson’s Air Raid background and Cam Ward: It’s a perfect marriage because you're looking at two very high football IQ guys that continue to evolve. It's unfair to pigeonhole a guy into being just an Air Raid guy. There are passing-game principles that relate to the Air Raid, but there's also five, six, seven-man protection and play action, schematic stuff that is more towards a power spread team. We’ve also put together a very efficient and powerful run game. So it's a great blend.
The evolution and the morphing of our system allows a guy like Cam, a guy like Jalen to maximize their abilities. Whether it be in the run game, the screen game, the passing game, we feel that there's a lot of different ways that we can attack opponents. It starts with the guys up front and the guy behind center. We feel that we're super blessed to have guys that we wouldn't trade for anybody in the country. We feel they're the best.
When you go back to Testaverde and Kosar, it's pro style and then Miami's gone power spread, open spread, air raid, condensed. It’s done just about everything. We believe in Cam Ward and we believe that Cam Ward will allow Miami to do things that Miami hasn't been able to do in a long, long time. We have complete trust and faith in him and the guys around him. He's a dynamic player, but even more importantly, he's a dynamic human being. Strong leader, raised the right way, unbelievable parents, like the guys beside him. All those sets of parents right there are the reason why those guys are like they are. And I think when you combine that with the talent that he has and the guys around him, it's exciting.
On the meaning of greatness: Greatness to us would be a way of life. It relates to alignment in everything you do. At our place, we say how you do anything is how you do everything. Whether it be the classroom, the community, how you are at home with your family, how you are in the community with people that you're trying to impact, how you are in the locker room, how you are on the road, how you are when things are going well, when they're not going so well, when you face adversity. Greatness is being the absolute best you can be all the time. It's that way of life.
On Cam Ward: His productivity as a player throughout his career is very well-documented. What really stands out in the short time we've been around him is he's an alpha leader. The reason everybody wanted him was his playmaking ability. Really accurate, great arm strength, ability to improvise, extend plays, a game changer. But what impressed us the most was whenever there was a bad play, his ability to bounce back and make things right. His aggressive, competitive nature to come back and make up for a negative play, was really, really impressive.
We needed that, at that position particularly. We felt the O-line was going to be a strong point of the program. We felt the skill positions and the backfield were going to be really good. And that we're going to have a good defensive front that can get after the passer. We could stop the run. So that guy (the QB) had to be a real deal dude. We felt that from him and he hasn't disappointed. He's exceeded expectations.
On Ward’s leadership: He gets right to it. There's no dancing around it. There's no fluff. He's a leader by his actions. To him, standards equal actions. And he backs it up with performance. Any free time, he's in the building. If he has to sit there and drag up the entire wide receiver corps, he's going to do so. He’s going to hold himself just as accountable as he does the other guys. All in all, it's what you want at the helm at that position. And he’s backed up by some really talented guys at the line of scrimmage and on the perimeter.
Cam is a product of his family. He's a reflection of his upbringing to the T. From the moment he stepped on campus, he made it a point to show everybody, “Look, I know I have a lot of hype and acclaim to my name, but I'm going to show you by how I work and how I perform.” You can't find moments where that guy's not in the building. Sometimes I ask him, “Don't you have class?” But he's always in there.
You know what he is? He's a great wide receiver coach. Because that guy will find time to drag those guys in there and meet with them. individually and as a group, stay with them after practice on the field and talk precisely as to what he's looking at, what he sees, what the expectation is. He holds himself to a high standard, they hold him to a high standard and he holds them to a high standard. It's a great relationship.
On NIL: We're not allowed to discuss NIL opportunities with people. I know this, if you don't play well, no one knows your name, your image stinks, no one likes you.
We not only have an excellent NIL program (Canes Connection), but one that is completely and utterly responsible and accountable all the time. They run it like an unbelievable business.
On winning close games: It's all about closing that gap. Year one, there was a pretty big gap. A lot of those games weren't close. In year two, we closed out a game like Clemson. We closed out games like Texas A&M and Virginia. But we didn't close out NC State. Down at the one-yard line, we fell short. We got down to the four-yard line against Louisville and we fell short.
Even though our total offense and total defense numbers improved, the areas of third down, red zone, penalties and turnovers are four areas where even modest improvement can make a big difference in the end result of those football games. I think the enhanced culture, resiliency, and talent levels of our roster are certainly going to help, as well as the continuity of our staff. Being able to evolve and maybe put a little bit more on the plate of our players. Doing simple better while still evolving is going to be a critical piece of our task.
On the defense: We made a lot of progress last year from a total defense standpoint, and really just about every statistical category. Part of that was just the caliber of player in the building had improved. We've bolstered that even more this offseason. When you have continuity at the defensive coordinator position, and most of our position coaches, that also bodes well. Kiko Mauigoa is a big reason why, as a leader of that defense. He’s surrounded by people that are driven, hungry, that want to be there and want to be really good. We took a good step last year, and we expect to take an even bigger one this year.
On the progression of the team: There’s a starting point for everything. The starting point at Miami was making sure that we enhance the caliber of talent in the locker room, that we increase the level and capabilities of the coaching staff, and that we blend in the strongest and most unbreakable culture that we can. We’ve been at it for two years, so systems are growing, players are developing, people are there for the right reasons. Growth and development, hard work and good people is a very strong combination.
We feel awesome about the people in the building. These guys run to the work. They run to the fight. They're awesome to be around. It's awesome to sit back and watch them work. It lets you go home and feel good knowing that no matter what, these guys are ready and willing to show up. They're driven to win. They're team-goal oriented.
On the progression of the team’s physicality: We took a significant step last year. Just about every game was down to the fourth quarter, even the final possession. We feel like we've taken another step, both in the development of the frontline guys, and then competitive depth. Guys are legitimately competing for starting spots, or being rotational players, That’s led to a great offseason and a great spring. We expect to be better and better up front, and with a guy like Cam at the helm, it bodes well for us.
On the offensive line: Coach Mirabal dual trains everybody. The versatility of our offensive line is really unique. Everybody plays the right side, the left side, inside and out. About five guys take significant center snaps during camp. That allows for a lot of movement, a lot of rotation, and also some great fail-safe plans in case the injury bug hits us.
They’re a really confident, hardworking, aggressive, high-culture group. They're a lot of fun to be around, but man, they grind. They finish blocks and elevate the standards of our program.
On Jalen Rivers: He is a complete pro, from top to bottom. As a leader, as a competitor, as a mentor to the younger guys, and in his approach to his craft. That guy's going to play a long, long time. He's going to be successful in everything he does in life. He's the right kind of guy. He's exactly what you want your own son to be.
On the defensive line: Really excited about the defensive line. We've had additions from a health standpoint. Guys like Josh Horton are finally healthy. Akheem Mesidor is finally healthy. He's a big-time player. We’ve had some uber-talented freshmen join us, and then some really talented portal guys join us as well. Guys that are versatile. You’ve got guys that have played on the edge and have played inside, bounce around as a three technique on third down, go in there as a nose tackle on first and second down.
We have a lot of pieces you can move around in case of injury, or if we just want to keep guys fresh and rotate them. They're competitors and they're physical guys that are going to be going against a physical offensive line. By the end of camp, we'll be a little bit sore and beat up, but we'll be better, because iron sharpens iron. It's going to be a real thing, finally, for us at the University of Miami.
On Damien Martinez: Big, strong, powerful guy that can flat out go. If you get a chance, watch his film when he was at Oregon State. Whether it was wide zone, tight zone, duo, pin and pull, he does it all. Protection-wise, screen game, just a big physical guy. First contact for him is usually contact plus two. He churns his legs through contact. He finds a way to get extra yards.
That running back room is really good right now. Ajay Allen is back healthy. Mark Fletcher is really close to being completely healthy. Chris Johnson had a great spring. Chris Wheatley-Humphrey. Jordan Lyle, hard to find a better freshman in the country than him. You got a lot of good pieces, and it's the way it should look.
On evaluating in the Portal: It's almost like the emergency room. You’ve got to be on call 24/7. When we started here, there weren't a ton of rising juniors and seniors that were the caliber of player you need to compete for championships. We do have a handful of unbelievable players that have been there for four and five years. They need to be complimented by guys going into their fourth and fifth year that have experience, that are mature, and that are impact players. It's a great blend.
When we already have the needs identified, and once those guys pop in the portal, you just go right at it. Assessment, evaluation, and character check. If it fits what we do – because we grind, we work hard, we play and practice very physically – then we're full throttle on it. We feel like we have hit in a big-time way on guys that are like-minded and match the characteristics we were looking for in those particular positions.
On the conversations with the quarterback room when he added Cam Ward: Transparent and honest, right to the point. There's no sidestepping this stuff. There's no sugarcoating it. There's a starting point for everything. Some areas required high-level talent as freshmen from the high schools. Other areas required portal additions. We’re very clear and transparent, and that avoids later misunderstandings. With those guys, competition is viewed as a good thing, not a threatening thing. The culture has taken another step.
On Cam Ward and Kiko Mauigoa wearing #1: They earned it. I've never handed out that number. I'm as old school as it gets. My high school coach is like Sensei Kreese from Cobra Kai. But they deserve it. They have the responsibility and the privilege and the honor to make sure that number means something.
On avoiding the outside hype: I don't think there's anything outside that could ever match our internal expectations. It's never going to be that way. This has been a life's calling. We came to Miami to make Miami what Miami is supposed to be. That's why we came, and we knew that it had to start in the locker room, at the coaching level, and the cultural level. Academics. It's been a full-throttle approach of just relentless, 24/7 work.
As you enter this year, you feel like a lot of those pieces are in place, that there's competitive depth at a lot of positions, that the culture's right. Academics are soaring. So a lot of things are going really, really well. There's a hunger and a drive coupled with humility that fits what we want to do.
Everybody talks about the first big game. It's a huge game and no one could deny that. We don't shy away from it. But our sole focus is on taking all the things we just talked about and now putting it to use in those meeting rooms, on the field, walkthroughs, academics and then to carry them over to game day.
On the impact former players have had on the team: At our alumni reunion, Michael Irvin hit them right between the eyes. He flat out told them, “If you can't help us win, I don't want to be your friend. If you're not willing to put in the time and the effort to make our program a winning program, I don't want you as part of our family. Nothing personal.” And I thank him, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Ray Lewis has been awesome, Greg Olsen, John Vilma, Jon Beason.
They're all over. We had 300+ alumni and they didn't speak about anything except culture and the work. Talent is great. We've been on talented teams that have done well, and some that have flopped. The exciting part is that these guys love to work.
On the Gator game: It’s a tremendous rivalry. I know our fan base and everybody's really incredibly fired up about that. But we're not going to be talking about the Florida Gators. We have training camp coming up. For us to be the best team that we can be on August 31, we have to have a great training camp. We have to improve our systems, our techniques, our fundamentals, our ability to communicate, to execute. Without any of that, nothing else is really possible. All focus is on Miami. In due time, we will be addressing our first game.
On protecting Cam Ward: Protecting the quarterback has always been the forefront of every place that we've been at. It starts with making sure that there's complete alignment between the coordinator and the offensive line coach, understanding what defenses do, what they do well, where their personnel advantages or disadvantages might be, and scheming our plan as it relates to that. To do that, you have to have good personnel up front, especially when you have a quarterback. [You want] to give them the right amount of time to operate within the system and sometimes improvise on their own.
We feel good about the personnel up front. We feel really good about the personnel outside on the perimeter and in the backfield. Cam's football IQ and his knowledge of protections – understanding where he is, where he isn't protected, how to get to a protection to make sure that he is –and everything that's built around it will allow him to be efficient, protected, and allows us to keep him upright.
On Shannon Dawson’s Air Raid background and Cam Ward: It’s a perfect marriage because you're looking at two very high football IQ guys that continue to evolve. It's unfair to pigeonhole a guy into being just an Air Raid guy. There are passing-game principles that relate to the Air Raid, but there's also five, six, seven-man protection and play action, schematic stuff that is more towards a power spread team. We’ve also put together a very efficient and powerful run game. So it's a great blend.
The evolution and the morphing of our system allows a guy like Cam, a guy like Jalen to maximize their abilities. Whether it be in the run game, the screen game, the passing game, we feel that there's a lot of different ways that we can attack opponents. It starts with the guys up front and the guy behind center. We feel that we're super blessed to have guys that we wouldn't trade for anybody in the country. We feel they're the best.
When you go back to Testaverde and Kosar, it's pro style and then Miami's gone power spread, open spread, air raid, condensed. It’s done just about everything. We believe in Cam Ward and we believe that Cam Ward will allow Miami to do things that Miami hasn't been able to do in a long, long time. We have complete trust and faith in him and the guys around him. He's a dynamic player, but even more importantly, he's a dynamic human being. Strong leader, raised the right way, unbelievable parents, like the guys beside him. All those sets of parents right there are the reason why those guys are like they are. And I think when you combine that with the talent that he has and the guys around him, it's exciting.
On the meaning of greatness: Greatness to us would be a way of life. It relates to alignment in everything you do. At our place, we say how you do anything is how you do everything. Whether it be the classroom, the community, how you are at home with your family, how you are in the community with people that you're trying to impact, how you are in the locker room, how you are on the road, how you are when things are going well, when they're not going so well, when you face adversity. Greatness is being the absolute best you can be all the time. It's that way of life.