The move that many had been reporting since Friday was imminent, is now official.
The Manny Diaz era is officially over in Miami and the Mario Cristobal era is about to begin.
BREAKING: Miami coach Manny Diaz has been informed he has been let go, per source. He was 21-15 in three seasons at UM. The move paves the way for the Canes to hire Oregon’s Mario Cristobal as Miami’s next head coach.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 6, 2021
SOURCES: Oregon’s Mario Cristobal did a players-only meeting to tell them that he’s leaving to become the new head coach at Miami. Most of his staff is on the road and learned of it after. AD Rob Mullens has scheduled a staff meeting for 9 AM: https://t.co/NMexj5sY90
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 6, 2021
Cristobal, 51, had been offered a contract extension from the University of Oregon, but it is now being reported that he is turning that down to come home to South Florida.
Cristobal, a native of Miami and graduate of Columbus High School, played for the Hurricanes as an offensive lineman winning two national titles from 1988 to 1992 and was later hired as an assistant coach by Butch Davis in 1998.
The chance to come home, to his alma mater, to a recruiting hotbed and to be closer to his family — and a conviction that UM would give him everything he needs to be successful — led to this decision. And Canes stepped up with by far largest contract ever given to a coach. https://t.co/5UhAMlOvSy
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 6, 2021
The Cristobal negotiations began midway through last week and concluded mid-afternoon Sunday. He conveyed to UM he was planning to take the job but Canes held off on firing Diaz until certainty. He's being given big budget for assistants, significant resources to fix this.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 6, 2021
$8 million to buy out Manny Diaz
$9 million to buy out Mario Cristobal at Oregon
$8 million for Cristobal’s salaryMiami has never come close to paying this kind of money. This is a complete shift in athletics and football support.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 6, 2021
To add to this news, the Canes may not be done yet with their hiring processes. It is also being reported that Clemson Athletic Director, Dan Radakovich, is also close to a deal with Miami to take over that same job in Coral Gables.
Some financials on Clemson AD Dan Radakovich, who is in negotiations with UM about possibly returning to the Hurricanes athletic dept, where he got his start in 1983. https://t.co/3N14PyJxOC
— Michelle Kaufman (@kaufsports) December 5, 2021