Cristobal named ‘Miami New Times’ Coach of the Year

Football Head Coach Mario Cristobal has been named Miami’s Coach of the Year by Miami New Times as a part of its Best of 2011 feature.

Photo courtesy of Ivan Santiago

Cristobal, the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, is coming off his fourth season at the helm of the Panthers. A season ago, Cristobal took the FIU football program to new heights, which included its first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship as well as the team’s first bowl berth and victory, a 34-32 win over Toledo in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

Under Cristobal’s leadership, the Panthers had their first winning season, going 7-6 and earning a conference-best 12 All-Sun Belt nods. The Panthers’ 2010 campaign saw nearly 30 individual and team records broken. It included a signature victory over perennial Sun Belt power Troy, defeating the Trojans, 52-35, in Troy’s homecoming game.

Cristobal looks to continue building on his team’s success as the Panthers open the 2011 season on Thursday, Sept. 1, as they host Sun Belt rival North Texas at 7 p.m.  For season tickets call 305-FIU-GAME.

— FIUSports.com