Miami Public League Coaches Comment on Cristobal, Miami Recruiting
During the recent Varsity Sports Network Dade County Media Day event, there was a chance to gain a better understanding of what three of the Miami Public League coaches felt about the job that Mario Cristobal and his staff are doing with the Miami Hurricanes.
First up, Miami Northwestern head coach Max Edwards, who has been in communication with the staff.
“It’s been good,” Edwards said.. “Mario has been communicating with us. The kids know that Mario wants the recruits to stay home. That makes the kids feel good. So, when you got the kids feeling good about staying home -- anything that they have over there, getting over there (to Miami), the kids are participating.”
Speaking of heading over to see Cristobal and the Hurricanes, Edwards has spent some time on campus himself.
“The kids have been going, I’ve been going," he said. "I saw all the facilities. I think they’re doing a good job, and I think they’re going to want to make the kids stay home.”
Finally and possibly most importantly, Edwards discussed how important it is for the Hurricanes to recruit the Miami Public League itself.
“I think, if they want to be on top, you want to win? You’ll come over and recruit some Public League players," he said. "These guys live it; it’s a way of life for these guys. So, you want some ballers that want to play the game and do their best for you, this is where you come.
“If you want attributes, you go across the country, get the attributes. You get those guys that are not going to get you national titles and not going to get you wins. So, if you want to win and keep your job, this is where you come.”
Miami Killian head coach Bryce Bishop also went on the record about Cristobal and Miami. First off, Bishop discussed what he believes to be Hurricanes’ interest in the players at Killian and around the Miami Public League in general.
“Well, I knew Cristobal personally, before he came here to coach," Bishop said. "He’s doing a great job; they’re doing a great job bringing a lot of recruits in.
“We saw him a lot over the spring. He’s interested in a lot of our guys. He’s doing a great job of building that program. I feel like they’re going in the right direction and possibly win a national championship in the near future. Even though I am a Buckeye (laughing).”
When asked about Cristobal and the Hurricanes bringing in top Dade County talent specifically to help put The U back on the map, Bishop was blunt with his response.
“I feel it’s very important because I’d say we have the most talent in the country. And, if you don’t recruit Miami, like, why are you not recruiting Miami? You’re not trying to recruit Miami, you’re not trying to get better.”
Bishop admits the filled out coaching staff at Miami is different now compared to other points in the last 10 years.
“Well, I was one of the guys that said, ‘If they want to compete with the best, you got to bring in some coaches that have NFL experience.’ I feel like they brought in a lot of NFL experience," he said. “Because, you’re not preparing these kids for college, you’re preparing these kids for the next level.”
Bishop has also spent time in Coral Gables of late.
“Yeah, when you walk in, you see the football facilities growing," he said. "I heard they are supposed to extend it. Saw a lot of it when we went to the UM camp, for the seven-on-seven camp, it’s great. I feel like they’re doing what they need to do.”
Miami Central head coach Jude Joseph elaborated on Cristobal’s relationships in Miami, and the importance that local players bring when they sign with the Hurricanes.
“I think that it’s a good thing for him to be at Miami,” Joseph said immediately when asked about Cristobal. “He’s got a lot of ties to the community. A lot of ties in the city. He’s a Miami guy. I think he understands. He was a part of the culture that actually laid down the foundation for those championships as a player.
“Him taking those key nuggets and adding it to his own legacy, and continuing to build a championship standard that’s really needed at that school.”
As for recruiting Dade County, Joseph utilized early days of Miami’s rise to college football prominence.
“I recall, back then, Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, and Dennis Erickson, they wanted to recruit the ‘State of Miami.’ You know, that’s what they did," he said. "That was the underlying fabric of what they needed; for what they were trying to build.
“Cristobal is going about it the right way. I do think, you have to understand, sometimes it’s not just Dade County. Sometimes it’s specific hotspot areas (in Dade County) that have the talent that he needs. Go ahead and, like, recruit focal-point areas. He’s doing a good job of that. Only a person from Miami will understand those focal points...
“A lot of times it’s not just about the actual talent. It’s about the actual player and the character of that player. The upbringing of that player. Because you’ve got to think about it like, let’s say for instance, back in the day…a Santana Moss who came in as a track athlete. Because there were limited scholarships. His upbringing from that Carol City neighborhood. You know what I’m saying? It fit the actual mold of what they were actually looking for.
“If he (Cristobal) has that set culture of what he’s looking for right now. You know, he should look at specific areas in Dade County.”
Joseph, like Bishop, noticed the new Miami facilities while touring campus recently, too.
“I remember the last time I was over there. I think they’re getting a new weight room," he said. "Organizationally, and not to knock the last staff, but you can just see that it’s just a feeling. You can’t really talk about what you see, what you hear but, It’s the feeling of a different standard. And not just with the athletes, it’s also with the coaches and the support staff. It’s also with the camera guy.
“You see everybody moving to the same beat of the drum. You know what I’m saying? That’s encouraging because that means that whatever y’all are saying in them meetings, whatever you guys are planning out before these kids get out here, they are being executed. Everybody is being held accountable."
Miami currently holds 17 verbal commitments, including four on board from Miami-Dade County.
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