Cristobal, Oregon Are "All-In" Together

When Luis and Clara Cristobal arrived in the United States from Cuba, in the early Sixties, they didn't have much.

What they did have — visions of raising a family in their new home, and the drive to make it a reality — they had in abundance. And they made sure they passed them on.

Mario Cristobal, like his older brother Lou, learned both qualities while growing up in South Miami. Following in the footsteps of parents who moved to a new land and laid a foundation, Cristobal on Friday was introduced as the 34th head football coach in University of Oregon history.

Football has taken Cristobal from his hometown of Miami, as a player in high school and college, to locations as varied as Rutgers and Alabama as an assistant, and finally to Eugene. It was here, a year ago, that football brought Cristobal and his wife, Jessica, to the next stop of what she said has been a "nomadic existence." And it's here the couple, with their children Mario Mateo and Rocco, intends to put down roots.

"We fell all-in with Oregon after being here just a short amount of time," Cristobal said Friday afternoon from the Bob Sanders Theater in the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, during a press conference to announce his hiring. "We want to be here until you've got to drag me away, kicking and screaming."

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Along with a distinguished pedigree that includes national titles both as a player and coach, Cristobal brought to Oregon a toughness infused among his offensive linemen in 2017, which permeated throughout the team. He also built up credibility, and trust, which led more than 70 players to sign a petition calling for the "interim" tag to be removed from his title, after Cristobal had been tabbed to coach Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl following the departure of Willie Taggart.

"That's a great factor," UO director of athletics Rob Mullens said of the player support, and its impact on the hiring decision. "It's not the lead factor. But it's great affirmation."

In a meeting with players prior to Cristobal's introductory press conference, Mullens thanked them for contributing to a program that attracted "a lot of great candidates that wanted to be here." He told them also, that, "what you've built, and being able to continue that, was really important to us."

Then, Mullens yielded the floor to Cristobal, who called being named head coach at Oregon "the greatest honor I could have ever asked God for." He promised to challenge the players at every turn, to maximize their potential. And he promised that the rewards for those efforts would be abundant.

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"You're gonna play for and win championships, and take college football to a whole 'nother level," Cristobal told the Ducks. "You're gonna be a team no one wants a piece of."

Cristobal still was speaking the language of trench warfare, and with good reason — he intends to continue coaching the UO offensive line while serving as head coach. His co-offensive coordinator for the last year, Marcus Arroyo, will make that job his own, and assume playcalling duties for the offense.

"We're gonna set the identity," Cristobal said. "We're gonna solidify it in the bowl game, of what is to come, by being relentless, by being physical, by being explosive."

It took relentless effort for Cristobal's parents to establish a family in a new country. Luis, who passed away at 96, worked in auto repair. Clara, who apparently still plays a mean game of dominos, was a title clerk for a dealership.

Their lessons weren't lost on either son. Lou is now a policeman in Florida. And as of Friday, Cristobal is carrying on his parents' legacy as head football coach for the Ducks.

"You can imagine in 1960, 1961, arriving in the United State and not knowing the language, and trying to raise a family," Cristobal said. "Having to work two jobs, and then going to night school and trying to learn the language."

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While Cristobal grew up in and around Miami, his wife was seeing the world as self-described "Army brat." When the couple moved west a year ago, it allowed Jessica to reunite with old friends from that unique childhood. She also still has family in California, where her mother was raised.

Cristobal assured attendees at his press conference that "my heart and soul" are dedicated to the long-term growth of the UO football program. He said he made that known to Mullens in the interview process, and then backed it up by agreeing to a contract that includes a hefty buyout were he to leave in the next few years.

"I don't think anyone expects to fall in love with a place as fast as Jessica and I have," Cristobal said. "But it's been incredible."

Taggart's departure after one year was unexpected. But, Cristobal said, "we're much better right now than we were a year ago today. … It came and it went, and now you take it and run with it. Anything else is wasting time."

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Along with preparing the Ducks for the Las Vegas Bowl, Cristobal's immediate priority is finalizing a recruiting class that can begin signing less than two weeks after his hiring.

"The message to recruits," he said, "is that the movement hasn't stopped. And it's only getting stronger."

A couple hours after introducing Cristobal as head coach to Oregon's players, Mullens did the same at the press conference with local media. He mentioned in that meeting as well the talented pool of candidates the Oregon job attracted.

Ultimately, he said, "something separated Mario from the group — his commitment to the full student-athlete experience, his fierce desire to compete, his passion for recruiting, his love for Eugene and this university."

That love is authentic, Cristobal made clear Friday. And it goes both ways, his players proved as well. Cristobal and the Ducks are all-in on their future, together.

University of Oregon Athletics

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