College football analyst claims Mario Cristobal "significantly elevated" Miami's football program

It’s only been a few months since Miami's 2024 season ended in dismay. After starting the year 9-0 and climbing to No. 4 in the country, Miami had trouble down the stretch, finishing with a 1-3 record and missing out on both the ACC championship and the playoff.

In his four years coaching the Hurricanes, Mario Cristobal accumulated a 22-16 record. Even with the disappointing finish to last season, analyst Josh Pate commended Cristobal on his eponymous show on Saturday.

Pate said that Cristobal is good at recruiting talent and has improved every team he's been a part of, including FIU, Oregon, Miami and even Alabama, where he was the offensive line coach.

“There's no question he has significantly elevated Miami. … So, Mario Cristobal, everywhere he's been, has elevated, especially as a head coach of the program he's at,” Pate said (0:30). “So he gets really good players, and he elevates any program that he goes to. Now, does anyone disagree with that?”

However, even with Cristobal’s recruiting deftness, the results on the field haven’t been as good as expected. While the Hurricanes have gotten stronger, especially in the line of scrimmage, the team’s production has been uneven. Cristobal’s 22 wins in three years are only one more than former coach Manny Diaz, who had the same number of seasons.

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Cam Ward’s advice for Mario Cristobal’s new quarterback at Miami

In 2024, the Hurricanes had the best offense in the country, headlined by quarterback Cam Ward, who is ready to sail away to the NFL and is widely projected to be a top-five pick. He helped the team finish with a 10-3 record, the first 10-win season for the Hurricanes since 2017.

Mario Cristobal has brought in Carson Beck from Georgia through the transfer portal. After Miami’s pro day on Monday, Ward shared some advice for Beck.

“I think the biggest thing that I would tell Carson is just be himself and try to win games,” Ward said. “At the end of the day, they can talk how bad they want about you, but if you win games, you’ve got the one-up on them.”

As a starter for two years at Georgia, Beck went 24-3, including taking Georgia to the SEC Championship last year before injuring his elbow.

2023 was his highlight season as Beck completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, in 2024, his production dipped a bit. In 13 games, he completed 64.7% of his passes for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.