Mario Cristobal leaves Oregon, takes Miami head-coaching job

It's no longer a rumor: Former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal is headed back to his alma mater.

On Monday morning, the University of Miami announced that it had released head coach Manny Diaz after three seasons at the helm, paving the way for Cristobal to take over the reins.

Diaz put together a 21-15 overall record during his Miami tenure, with his Hurricanes going 16-9 in ACC play. 

Cristobal went 35-13 in just over four seasons as Oregon's head coach, including a 12-2 campaign and Rose Bowl win in 2019. This past season, the Ducks finished 10-3, with two of their losses coming against Pac-12 champion Utah. 

Under Cristobal, Oregon finished in the top 13 nationally in recruiting each year. Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class, which has 19 commits, is currently ranked No. 9, per SI. 

In recent weeks, the rumor mill had been spinning that Cristobal, 51, would leave the Pacific Northwest for his home state. He played high school football in Miami before taking his talents to "The U," where he played offensive tackle for four seasons and won national titles in 1989 and 1991. 

According to one report, as of Sunday, the deal had been worked out, and all that was left was for Cristobal to put his signature on a contract.

With Cristobal on the move, there have been three massive coaching changes in the past week, including Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma for Southern California on Sunday and longtime Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly inking a new deal with LSU on Monday.