Mario Cristobal Rising In the 2025 ACC Coaching Rankings
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The Miami Hurricanes have continued to improve year after year thanks to the return of Mario Cristobal.
Going from five to seven, then to ten wins in three years, shows that what he is doing is working and only highlights the coaching job he has done in Coral Gables.
This has also allowed him to rise in the ACC coaching rankings ahead of the 2025 season. CBS Sports ranks him as the third-best coach in the conference, up from last season's No. 6.
Cristobal rose from No. 8 to No. 6 among ACC coaches last season. Now he's up to No. 3 after delivering a 10-win season that had Miami knocking on the door of the CFP. Despite that success, the Hurricanes fell short of the ACC Championship Game, leaving some unfinished business for a team that returns much of its core in 2025. Still, it marked Miami's first double-digit win season since 2017 -- a milestone that warrants this positive re-evaluation. Last year: No. 6 in ACC
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He is behind Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Louisville coach Jeff Brohm in the national rankings for the ACC.
Coaching rankings don't truly matter in this matter ahead of the season because of what the Canes are trying to prove this season. This group of players and coaching staff feels more connected than ever, and fall camp is proving that.
The first step is focusing on the day to day task before turning their heads to a potential monster Notre Dame team on August 31.
"There’s always going to be excitement as it relates to that," Cristobal said. "The whole world knows who we’re playing game one, and that can’t have a bearing on how we approach our process. We have to get good at what we do."
In typical fashion, the Hurricanes are trying their best to not think about the Fighting Irish. The idea is to not look so far ahead that they forget what they are trying to work on. The Hurricanes are trying to be one of the best teams in the country this season and compete for an ACC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.