Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Mario Cristobal Linked To High-Profile NFL Job
If you follow the NFL, you know that the Pittsburgh Steelers changing head coaches is an event that happens with the same frequency as a solar eclipse or a Chicago Bears quarterback throwing for 4,000 yards. It just doesn’t happen often. Since 1969, the franchise has employed exactly three men for the top job: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. That is a level of stability that makes the rest of the league look like a chaotic reality TV show.
But with the Tomlin era officially in the rearview mirror, the “Steel City” is currently the anxiety capital of the football world. The list of potential replacements has been the standard fare of NFL coordinators and retreads—until now. A new, fascinating, and somewhat confusing name has entered the chat: University of Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal.
The Brian Baldinger Bombshell
This isn’t just some random message board chatter. This rumor comes via NFL Network analyst and film guru Brian Baldinger. On a recent episode of his podcast, “The Best Football Show,” Baldinger dropped a nugget that likely caused a few terrible towels to be dropped in shock.
“Not out here trying to play reporter or doing any of that nonsense, but I hear the Steelers are very interested in Mario Cristobal,” Baldinger said.
Baldinger, who played in the trenches himself, noted that he watched Cristobal run practice in the spring. His assessment? It was “old school.” It was physical. It was gritty. In Baldinger’s eyes, the way Cristobal runs a program translates to Sundays. “The way that Mario coached that team reminded me of what old-school coaches used to do,” he said.
Does Cristobal Fit the Steel City Culture?
On paper, you can see the vision. The Steelers brand is built on defense, a punishing running game, and a general toughness that borders on masochism. Cristobal, a former offensive lineman, has built his entire collegiate career on those same pillars.
At Oregon, and now at Miami, his teams are known for being bullies at the line of scrimmage. He recruits giants, he demands physicality, and he wants to break the opponent’s will. That philosophy sounds like it was lab-created specifically for the Rooney family.
However, there is a massive difference between bullying 19-year-olds in the ACC and trying to motivate grown men in the AFC North. We’ve seen the “college rah-rah” approach flame out spectacularly in the NFL before, and the Steelers have historically avoided the risky college-to-pro jump.
The Miami Heartbreak and the Buyout
There is also the matter of current events. Cristobal is fresh off a crushing loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game to the Indiana Hoosiers. After leading the Hurricanes to a 13-3 record and their best season in two decades, his stock is undeniably high, despite the final result.
But leaving Miami wouldn’t just be a career move; it would be a divorce. Cristobal is a Miami native. He played for the Hurricanes. He famously left Oregon to “save” his alma mater, signing a massive 10-year, $80 million contract in 2021. He claimed he couldn’t go to his grave without seeing “The U” back on top. Leaving now, with the job technically unfinished, would be a shocker.
However, money talks, and the allure of the NFL is a siren song that has seduced many college legends. Plus, there is a human element here that might override the Miami connection: reports suggest Cristobal and his brother grew up as die-hard Steelers fans. If the franchise you worshiped as a kid calls you up to replace a legend, do you say no?
Risk vs. Reward For Pittsburgh
Hiring Cristobal would be a massive swing for Pittsburgh. It would signal a desire to maintain the physical culture Tomlin and Cowher fostered, but through a totally different lens. It is a high-risk move for a franchise that usually plays it safe.
The Steelers have reportedly interviewed NFL veterans like Mike McCarthy and rising stars like Anthony Weaver. Those are “safe” NFL hires. Cristobal is the wild card. He brings energy, recruiting prowess, which translates to roster management, and an edge. But he also brings zero NFL head coaching experience and the baggage of a massive collegiate contract.
Is this just a case of “due diligence” by the Steelers front office? Or does General Manager Omar Khan see something in Cristobal that the rest of us are missing?
For now, it is just a rumor floating in the ether. But in a league where the unexpected is the only guarantee, seeing Cristobal patrolling the sidelines at Acrisure Stadium isn’t entirely impossible. It would certainly be old school—just like the Steelers like it.
