Mario Cristobal

If Mario Cristobal decides to spurn the University of Miami and return to Oregon, he may have cost himself tens of millions of dollars with his flirtation.

John Canzano of The Oregonianˆˆ reported Oregon pulled a 10-year, $85 million contract extension offer as Cristobal considers bolting Eugene to return home to Miami. The report says Cristobal "may have alienated" Nike co-founder Phil Knight, whose support as a booster has played a role in the Ducks' rise to national prominence. 

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal has reportedly agreed to terms on a contract to become the new head football coach of the Miami Hurricanes, per Barry Jackson, Susan Miller Degnan and Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald. The deal could be worth more than $8 million per year. 

The deal reportedly has not been signed. 

Cristobal was reportedly set to meet with Oregon players at 4:30 p.m., per Brandon Kamerman of KVAL News. However, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported otherwise:

In addition, Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian reported there was no team meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon. However, Cristobal is reportedly headed back to Eugene and has cancelled his recruiting visits in California for Monday.

He reportedly had until midday Monday to inform Miami if he wanted the job, per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. If Cristobal declined, Manny Diaz would have remained the Hurricanes head coach, as first reported by Jackson.

Cristobal has a deep connection to the program. He was an offensive lineman for the Hurricanes and served as a graduate assistant for the program in 1998. The 51-year-old was also a tight end coach for the Hurricanes from 2004-05 before becoming the team's offensive line coach in 2006. 

Cristobal also reportedly had a contract extension offer on the table from Oregon, per John Canzano of The Oregonian. It was "aggressive and in line" with what Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly received from USC and LSU, respectively. 

Riley will reportedly make more than $110 million over the duration of his contract, while Kelly will make $95 million across 10 years. 

Cristobal became head coach of the Ducks in 2017, taking over Willie Taggart. At the time, he agreed to a five-year contract through January 2023 worth $2.5 million annually. Last December he signed a new six-year, $27.3 million deal that runs through 2026. 

Oregon went 35-13 with Cristobal as its head coach and has had a winning record in each of his full seasons at the helm. His teams have made four bowl games, including wins in the 2018 Redbox Bowl and 2019 Rose Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes finished the 2021 season with a 7-5 record. It was the team's second straight winning record under Diaz, who's 21-15 at the school.

Oregon head football coach Mario Cristobal attempted to calm rumors of him jumping ship to Miami following the Ducks' 38-10 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Cristobal said the following about whether he has been in contact with Miami:

"I haven't talked to anybody, so let's not create narratives as we sit here in this press conference. Oregon's working on some stuff for me, and that's what I have right now, and that's the extent of that conversation.

"If there's anything to report, I'd report it. I always have."

Cristobal also acknowledged the likelihood of other schools pursuing him, saying: "Do I expect people to come [after] me? Yeah, I do. It happens every single year. There's nothing else to report besides that. If there is, or when there ever is—if there ever is—I'll make sure to get it to [the media] as fast as I can."

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Friday that Miami's pursuit of Cristobal has been "ongoing for several days" and there is "optimism" within the program that it will get him.

Prior to becoming Oregon's head coach in 2018, Cristobal played offensive line at Miami from 1989 to '92 and had stints with the Hurricanes as a coach from 1998 to 2000 and 2004 to '06.

While Miami's pursuit of Cristobal makes sense, especially with the program likely to fire head coach Manny Diaz after going 7-5 this season and 21-15 over the past three seasons, Oregon is reportedly set to pull out all the stops to keep him.

Per John Canzano of The Oregonian, Cristobal has received an "aggressive" contract extension offer from Oregon that would pay him around what USC gave Lincoln Riley to leave Oklahoma and what LSU gave Brian Kelly to leave Notre Dame.

If Cristobal accepts Oregon's offer, it will mark the second time in a year that he has signed an extension with the Ducks, as he inked a six-year, $27.3 million deal through 2025 in December last year.

A source told ESPN it is "a coin flip" regarding whether Cristobal will stay at Oregon or go to Miami. The source noted that the biggest motivating factor in Cristobal going to Miami would be the chance to be closer to his mother Clara, who is working through some health issues.

While Cristobal's first head coaching gig at Florida International from 2007 to 2012 didn't go well, with the Golden Panthers going 27-47, he has been a stabilizing force at Oregon.

In four seasons as the Ducks' full-time head coach, Cristobal has gone 35-12, and he has led Oregon to Pac-12 Championship Game wins in both 2019 and 2020.

Along with winning the Pac-12 title game, Oregon went 12-2 overall and won the Rose Bowl in 2020.

The Ducks had a legitimate chance to reach the College Football Playoff this season after upsetting Ohio State, but a loss to Stanford followed by two losses to Utah ended their hopes.

Still, the Ducks have registered another double-digit-win season at 10-3, and Cristobal seems like the right coach to lead them into the future.

High-ranking officials at the University of Miami are "optimistic" about hiring Oregon's Mario Cristobal as their next head football coach in the "coming days," according to Susan Miller Degnan, Barry Jackson and Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald. 

An announcement is anticipated before Tuesday.

The news comes after John Canzano of The Oregonian reported that Miami planned to make a run at Cristobal as a possible replacement for head coach Manny Diaz.

However, Canzano also reported that Oregon has a contract extension on the table for Cristobal and it's "aggressive and in line" with what Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly received from USC and LSU, respectively, earlier this week.

Riley, the former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, reportedly will make more than $110 million over his contract. Kelly, who left Notre Dame to take the LSU head coaching job, agreed to $95 million over 10 years with the potential to earn bonuses.

It's unclear if Cristobal, a Miami native, is interested in the Hurricanes' coaching position. However, Canzano noted Cristobal's mother, who is ill, still lives in the area. He recently flew home to spend time with her. 

The 51-year-old was an offensive lineman for the Hurricanes during his playing days and also served as a graduate assistant to start his coaching career in 1998. He was a tight end coach for Miami from 2004 to '05 before coaching the offensive line in '06.

Cristobal was named head coach of the Ducks in December 2017, taking over for Willie Taggart after agreeing to a five-year contract through January 2023 that paid him $2.5 million per year. Last December, the head coach signed a new six-year, $27.3 million deal that goes through 2026.

Cristobal has a 35-12 record as Oregon's head coach, including appearances in four bowl games (wins in the 2018 Redbox Bowl and 2019 Rose Bowl). The Ducks have had a winning record in each of his full seasons at the helm. 

Oregon is set to play the Utah Utes on Friday night in the Pac-12 championship. 

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, finished the 2021 campaign with a 7-5 record, second place in the ACC Coastal. It was the team's second consecutive winning season under Diaz.  

The Oregon Ducks reportedly have put a contract extension on the table for head coach Mario Cristobal, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian, who reported it's "aggressive and in line" with what Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly received earlier this week. 

Riley, who left Oklahoma to become head coach of the USC Trojans, reportedly will make more than $110 million over the course of his contract. Kelly, who left Notre Dame to take the LSU head coaching job, is being paid $95 million plus bonuses over 10 years, Canzano notes. 

Canzano's report also included news that the University of Miami plans to "make a run" at Cristobal as a possible replacement for head coach Manny Diaz. It's unclear if Cristobal, a Miami native, would be interested in becoming head coach of the Hurricanes after all he's done to progress the program at Oregon. 

However, Cristobal, who was born and raised in Miami, was also an offensive lineman for the Hurricanes during his playing days and also served as a graduate assistant to start his coaching career. In addition, he was a tight end and offensive line coach for Miami, so he's very familiar with the program. Canzano also noted Cristobal's mother still lives in the area.

Even if Miami pursues Cristobal, it certainly sounds like the school will need to offer him a deal similar to what Oregon is reportedly offering. Would he leave the Ducks for a deal worth less money to return home? It doesn't seem likely, though nothing is impossible. 

Cristobal was named head coach of the Ducks in December 2017, taking over for Willie Taggart, who, at the time, left to become head coach at Florida State before joining Florida Atlantic in 2020.

At the time, Cristobal agreed to a five-year contract through January 2023 that paid him $2.5 million annually. A new six-year, $27.3 million contract for the head coach was announced in December 2020. It runs through 2026. 

Cristobal owns a 35-12 record as Oregon's head coach, including appearances in four bowl games (wins in the 2018 Redbox Bowl and 2019 Rose Bowl). The Ducks have had a winning record in each of the 51-year-old's full seasons at the helm, so it should come as no surprise that the school is willing to back up the Brinks truck in an attempt to get him to stay.  

The 2021 Fiesta Bowl pits the FBS' second-best rusher against one of the more talented front sevens in the nation. 

Iowa State running back Breece Hall will face one of his toughest challenges of the season trying to gain yards against Kayvon Thibodeaux and the Oregon Ducks. 

The Cyclones are the higher-ranked team in Saturday's matchup, but Oregon possesses something that they do not have.

Oregon enters State Farm Stadium as the Pac-12 champion. The Ducks replaced the Washington Huskies as the Pac-12 North representative and defeated the USC Trojans in the conference title game. 

Iowa State can't claim a conference crown, but it can finish the campaign with nine wins and a spot in the Top 10 if it rides Hall and Brock Purdy to a New Year's Six bowl victory.

Fiesta Bowl Info

Date: Saturday, January 2

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN 

Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app

Odds

Spread: Iowa State (-5)

Over/Under: 57.5

Moneyline: Iowa State -200 (bet $200 to win $100); Oregon +160 (bet $100 to win $160)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Daily Fantasy Tips

Trust Breece Hall in Tough Matchup

Hall finished the regular season as the FBS' rushing leader, but he dropped to second after Sincere McCormick eclipsed him in the UTSA Roadrunners' bowl game.

The Iowa State sophomore needs 32 yards to reclaim the crown from McCormick, and he must gain 75 yards to be the nation's lone 1,500-yard rusher this season.

Hall recorded over 75 yards in each of his 11 appearances. He started the campaign with eight consecutive 100-yard performances.

Thibodeaux and freshman linebacker Noah Sewell will be tasked with limiting Hall's production. The Ducks held USC's two running backs to 65 rushing yards on 25 carries in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Even though the matchup will be difficult, Hall should manage a decent yardage total because of the volume of touches he typically receives.

Hall averaged 5.9 yards per carry and earned 20 or more touches in nine contests. He also has scored in every start.

Iowa State's reliance on Hall, and his nose for the end zone, should make him the top must-start option in daily fantasy lineups for the Fiesta Bowl, or even a full Saturday slate contest.

Brock Purdy Carries Slight Edge Over Tyler Shough

Purdy and Tyler Shough can both hurt defenses in the two aspects of the offense.

Purdy wracked up 2,594 passing yards and totaled 22 touchdowns, four of which came on the ground.

In Oregon's shortened six-game slate, Shough added 263 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to 1,480 passing yards and 13 scoring throws.

Iowa State's signal-caller had a better conference championship performance, as he produced 322 passing yards against the Oklahoma Sooners. Shough did not hit the 100-yard mark.

Both players have had some trouble with turnovers. Purdy was picked off three times in two separate games, while Shough has been intercepted in four of his six starts.

The difference between the two is Purdy's larger single-game totals. He had three 300-yard games and completed over 60 percent of his passes in the last six contests.

Shough has completed 53 percent of his attempts in each of the last two games and had 22 completions in that span. Purdy went 27-of-40 in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Purdy and Hall would be a nice backbone for any lineup, which would then require some lower-salaried players around them to land in prize-winning positions.

One name to consider for that role is Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar, who leads the Cyclones with six touchdown catches.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

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