Over the last couple of weeks of the regular season, one of the biggest questions was who was going to get into the College Football Playoff, Miami or Notre Dame. It was split as to who should get in. Some thought the Week 1 head-to-head win by the Hurricanes was enough to end the discussion. In the end, it was.
Miami got the final berth in the 12-team field as the No. 10 seed and earned the right to play at No. 7 Texas A&M in the First Round. Mario Cristobal led his Hurricanes into College Station, and they pulled off a 10-3 upset over the Aggies.
The reward for Miami is a date with No. 2 Ohio State on New Year’s Eve in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Dallas at AT&T Stadium. Cristobal is in his fourth year in South Florida, and he finally got his team to the CFP. Some would say that he’s earning his money this year, which leads to the question, How much does Cristobal make?
What is Mario Cristobal’s Salary at Miami?
Coaching salaries are getting up there for college football coaches. According to Cody Nagel of CBS Sports, Kirby Smart at Georgia makes the most annually at $13 million. Second on the list is Cristobal’s counterpart in the quarterfinals, Ryan Day, who makes $12.5 million.
As far as Cristobal goes, his $8.5 million yearly salary ranked him tied for 16th in college football with James Franklin when he was at Penn State. He has since been fired and hired at Virginia Tech.
Some might say that Miami’s spot in the CFP was long overdue. Last year, the Hurricanes were closing in on a berth in November before losing at Georgia Tech and Syracuse over the last couple of weeks. Going into this year, Miami was one of the top teams in the ACC, but they didn’t even get into the ACC Championship Game.
The Hurricanes stumbled twice in conference play, losing at home to Louisville and then on the road at SMU. However, when the dust settled, the win over Notre Dame in Week 1 was the difference.
Could Mario Cristobal Get a Pay Raise With an Upset of Ohio State?
There was some question as to whether or not Cristobal could get over the hump and lead the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff. A win over the Buckeyes could result in a massive payday for the former Oregon head coach.
“Cristobal could be due for a massive pay increase should he finally capitalize on a massive opportunity to lead the Hurricanes back to national prominence in 2025,” wrote Nagel.
As far as ACC coaches go in 2025, Cristobal’s salary is the third highest. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is fourth nationally, making $11.25 million according to CBS Sports, and Bill Belichick of North Carolina is ninth, making $10.1 million.
Miami doubters will ask if this is just a one-year stint in the CFP for Cristobal with Carson Beck as his quarterback, or is it sustainable? Cristobal is earning his money this year and could earn a bigger payday with an upset that not a lot of people see happening.
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