Urban Meyer reveals why HC Mario Cristobal may be Miami's best chance

You've got to give Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal some credit. Miami, perhaps better known as "The U", was once one of the top programs in college football. Miami won a national championship in 2001 under HC Larry Coker, but the glory years were from 1983-91, when the Hurricanes won four national championships.

"The U" was the place to be, but the end of the Coker era ultimately brought in a period of mediocrity. For instance, Cristobal took over the program in 2022 and, in his second season, led the Hurricanes to a 10-3 record. That was Miami's first double-digit win season since 2017 and only its second double-digit win season since 2003.

That was a dark era of Miami football, but through good coaching and stellar recruiting (aided by NIL deals), Cristobal has the Hurricanes poised to be a College Football Playoff contender both now and in the future.

As it stands, Miami is 4-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country heading into a massive game against 3-1 and No. 18 Florida State on Saturday.

According to someone who knows a thing or two about football in the state of Florida, legendary college football head coach Urban Meyer, Cristobal seems to have "The U" on the verge of being "back".

Urban Meyer believes Cristobal has Miami on the cusp

“I’m not saying [Miami’s] there yet, but I like consistency. I’ve always had respect for Cristobal," Meyer told Colin Cowherd on Thursday (h/t On3). "That’s his home. If he can’t do it, then I’m not sure in our lifetime, (if) Miami will ever be back. So, I’m not saying they’re back yet, but this is as close as it’s been in 15 years.”

Meyer is right in pointing out that Cristobal has deep roots with the Hurricanes. He's clearly passionate about the program, and he brings credibility to it because of his history.

Cristobal was born in Miami in 1970 and he played on the offensive line for the Hurricanes during that golden era. He was a four-year letterman from 1989-92 and played under coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson.

Cristobal was part of two championship teams at Miami, and he wasn't just a bench player, he was an All-Big East offensive tackle in 1992.

His first coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Miami from 1998-2000, and he coached tight ends and offensive line from 2004-06 before getting his first head coaching job at Florida International.

Cristobal knows what it takes to be a championship contender at Miami, so Meyer is right. If he can't pull this off, perhaps nobody will be able to.