Mario Cristobal Won’t Stop Talking About Nick Saban During ESPN Interview

The Miami coach worked four years under his former boss in Tuscaloosa, and their on-air needling has become a yearly ritual.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has a history with Nick Saban, and apparently, he needs to talk about it. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal spent much of his sit-down with ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis talking about heritage, cafecito and why he owes the University of Miami.

It's mostly what you would expect from a college football coach talking about his team in the preseason. Lots of coachspeak, lots of anecdotes. The two appeared to be having a lovely meal at one of Cristobal's favorite local eateries.

Then Nick Saban became part of the conversation, and the Miami head coach shifted into something that started lighthearted and just kept going and going.

Mario Cristobal jokes about Nick Saban eyebrows, makeup

Asked whether Saban owes him anything, Cristobal joked, "Look, that guy owes me a lot." He added that Saban "moves the goalposts all the time," then guessed his former boss was "either getting his eyebrows trimmed or his hair dyed right now or makeup put on."

He said he is not one of Saban's "stepchildren" who get taken care of with houses. This is in reference to Saban's charity, Nick's Kids Foundation, which has delivered $18 million to help children, schools, teachers and families.

He told Davis to pass along that Miami's practices are tougher than Alabama's ever were, then walked it back seconds later because it sounded like boasting.

The eyebrow line is not new. Cristobal used almost the same joke about Saban's appearance during a College GameDay appearance after the Fiesta Bowl in January, telling him he had plenty of time to think while getting his makeup done. That version worked a little better because Saban was there to laugh at the joke.

In print, it sounds like a lot. But Cristobal was in the moment, having fun, talking in jest about a close figure in his life. He noted a recent conversation with the former Alabama coach about the nuances of offseason practice schedules. It's clear their relationship runs deep.

Nick Saban, Mario Cristobal history at Alabama

Cristobal joined Saban's staff in February 2013, five weeks after taking a job at Miami under Al Golden. He replaced Jeff Stoutland, who left for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cristobal stayed through the 2016 season as assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He was named 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year in 2015, and his offensive line won the Joe Moore Award that same season.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban smiles as he is on set during ESPN’s College GameDay on location on the Quad at the University of Alabama before the Alabama versus Vanderbilt game. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The two have traded shots on ESPN repeatedly since Saban joined the network in 2024.

After Miami beat Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl, Saban criticized a 3rd-and-3 call, and Cristobal told him he used to have that mentality before he got into "the big business and the TV world."

Cristobal defends the Dolphins joke that wasn't even true

Cristobal claimed he saved Saban's life because Dolphins fans wanted to kill him. Saban went 15-17 in Miami across two rocky seasons in 2005 & 2026. His brief NFL tenure is remembered for passing on Drew Brees after team doctors failed his physical, leading to a trade for Daunte Culpepper. But in truth, the fans still liked Saban despite the team not taking off after his arrival.

Davis defended Saban by pointing to quarterback problems, and Cristobal pivoted immediately, saying Saban was loved locally, recruited South Florida high school players alongside him and never hesitated to share knowledge. "I'm eternally grateful for him," Cristobal said.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal with linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (31) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then came the line about people needing to be surgically removed from Saban's backside because the praise is so heavy. Cristobal followed that by saying he hoped to bust his chops on national television every week.

The jokey back-and-forth is just how Cristobal operates. Cristobal spent the rest of the interview refusing to make predictions, deflecting questions about his own status and repeating that he prefers to shut up and work. He's a college football coach after all. That's the lens through which he views the world.

Miami opens at Stanford on Friday, Sept. 4, and does not play a Saturday game until Sept. 26, when it hosts Central Michigan, which Davis pointed out after Cristobal said all college football should be played on Saturdays.