Mario Cristobal on coaching in the NIL era: 'We have not ever changed'

Through the first years of the NIL era, Miami has been at the forefront. But Mario Cristobal is staying true to his coaching style.

As Cristobal arrived at Miami in 2022, the school began to invest through NIL as the landscape began to shift. He began to build the football program at his alma mater and got the Hurricanes a win away from a national title last season with a roster in the roughly $30 million range, On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported.

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But even as NIL became a central part of the sport, Cristobal said he hasn’t changed how he coaches. His focus is still on development and he drew a famous Bill Belichick quote about Tom Brady to make his point.

“We believe in this,” Cristobal said on Bussin’ With The Boys. “If you have to change the way that you coach and treat people because you’re afraid of the portal or NIL, you shouldn’t have been in coaching to begin with. You were doing things in a manner that wasn’t for the principles and standards that football was originally intended for. We have not ever changed the way we coached. We believe we treat people the right way and we do everything possible to provide them with the resources, the teaching, everything to make them the absolute best that they can be. And we’re truth-tellers.

“People that want to get better, they want a truth-teller. And we haven’t come across that where, there’s an issue of that sort of thing. … Bill Belichick [said] I think it was to Tom Brady, ‘No sacred cows.’ Can you imagine if that existed, knowing what comes with this?”

Mario Cristobal: ‘Ball is still ball’

When it comes to players cashing in on their name, image and likeness, Mario Cristobal said he encourages his players to be smart with their money. They still have to perform on the field, though, which is why the approach at Miami is staying the same even as the new era continues to evolve.

“People making money, I’m all about it, as long as they’re responsible and know what to do with it,” Cristobal said. “Don’t flash it, throw it all over the place. I mean, ball is still ball. And when we come here, coach and player, I don’t care what you make. You’re making what you’re either earned, what you settled for, negotiated. I don’t care.

“But when we’re in here, I don’t want to hear jack about money. We’re going to do [it] the Miami Hurricane way and things that have been done here for a long, long time. So far, it’s worked for us really well. We’ve just got to make sure we keep getting the right kind of people that believe in that.”