UM officially names Alex Mirabal OL coach; Cristobal comments

UM officially names Alex Mirabal OL coach; Cristobal comments

Stefan Adams
Head football coach Mario Cristobal announced Thursday the hiring of Alex Mirabal to the position of Miami Hurricanes’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Coach Mirabal back home,” Cristobal said. “From Outland Trophy winners to All-Americans to all-conference players, Coach Mirabal has a reputation as the best offensive line coach in the country and one who is elite at talent development. He also has a track record as one of the very top recruiters in the nation.

“I know Coach Mirabal is excited to return to his roots in Miami and I know he will make a tremendous impact on the physicality our offense and the culture of the Miami Hurricanes program as a whole.”

Mirabal, a high school teammate of Cristobal, has been the one constant on the staff during Cristobal’s career as a head coach. Mirabal came to Miami after spending the previous four years on Cristobal’s staff as offensive line coach at Oregon from 2018-2021. Prior to the 2021 season, Mirabal added the title of associate head coach / offense to his duties coaching the offensive line.

During seven of his 10 full seasons as head coach entering his tenure at Miami, Cristobal has entrusted Mirabal with the development of the offensive line. For the first six years of Cristobal’s head coaching career, Mirabal served as his assistant head coach.

“It’s a blessing to be back home,” Mirabal said. “My job is to make these guys understand that it’s a privilege and an honor to coach here, and it’s a privilege and honor to play here. We have to make sure that those men who came before us are proud of how we’re carrying ourselves. It always starts at the front, on the offensive and defensive lines. The program here at the University of Miami has traditionally been tremendous along both lines of scrimmage, and it’s our job to uphold that tradition.”

In Mirabal’s time at Oregon, the offensive line was the driving force behind Oregon’s offensive success.

In his final season in Eugene, Mirabal helped guide the Ducks to a 10-4 record, including a 7-2 mark in conference play, and their third straight appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Ducks averaged more than 31 points per game each of his four years on staff, including finishing second in the Pac-12 in scoring offense the first two seasons, fourth in 2020 and third in 2021, while ranking in the top 25 in the nation in both 2018 (34.8 ppg – 25th) and 2019 (35.4 ppg – 16th).

The Ducks rushed for 203.2 yards per game in 2021 – ranked No. 24 in the nation – and had 200-plus rush yards on seven occasions, including two 300-yard games

Mirabal was instrumental in Oregon’s success on the recruiting trail over his time there. During the 2021 cycle, Mirabal earned recognition as one of the top 25 recruiters in the country while helping Oregon to an all-time best No. 3 class ranking by Rivals. In the 247Sports rankings, Mirabal ranked second among all Pac-12 assistants and No. 16 overall while the Ducks’ signed the No. 6 class according to the recruiting site.

Mirabal’s success has not only been limited to the recruiting space, but also in player development, where he has thrived throughout his career. In 2019, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman and was a consensus All-American for an offensive line that helped lead the Ducks to a Rose Bowl championship. Sewell opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 and was selected with the seventh overall pick of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

This past season, Mirabal coached offensive lineman T.J. Bass to an All-America season. Bass was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team and recognized with All-America first-team honors from The Action Network. Mirabal’s line helped the Ducks rush for 203.2 yards per game in 2021 – ranked No. 24 in the nation – and its group helped clear the way for 200-plus rush yards on seven occasions, including two 300-yard games.

In 2019, a year when Oregon won the Pac-12 Championship and the Rose Bowl while finishing 12-2, the Ducks’ offensive line was one of four finalists for the Joe Moore Award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding offensive unit in college football. Mirabal coached four players in his time at Oregon who have earned All-America honors, including Sewell.

In between his stints with Cristobal, Mirabal put together a successful five-year run at Marshall as the Thundering Herd’s offensive line coach. Prior to reuniting with Cristobal in Eugene, Mirabal had a league-leading eight first or second-team All-Conference USA selections on the offensive line from 2013 to 2017 at Marshall, helping pave the way for the Thundering Herd to put together a 44-22 record, three 10-win seasons, a 4-0 record in bowl games, two Conference USA titles and a win in the 2014 Conference USA Championship Game.

Mirabal served as the assistant head coach for six years at FIU under Cristobal, working with the offensive line his final three years following three seasons coaching tight ends.

A long-time Miami-Dade high school football coach, Mirabal taught and coached around south Florida starting in 1993 all the way up to his arrival at FIU. He helped lead Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School to three district championships in four years as the Explorers offensive line coach and run-game coordinator.

During the winter of 2007, Mirabal was honored with inclusion on the coaching staff on Team USA Football, a Miami-Dade and Broward County high school all-star team that competed in and advanced to the championship round of the NFL Global Junior Championships XI.

Mirabal began his coaching career at Christopher Columbus High School by taking on a variety of roles. He was the Explorers assistant track and field coach and a volunteer football offensive line coach for six years. Mirabal was the school’s junior varsity head coach in 1994-95 and then took on the program’s strength and conditioning coordinator responsibilities from 1996-2001. During that time, he also assumed the titles of varsity running backs coach in 1996-97 and then varsity offensive line coach from 1997-2001.
 

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Head football coach Mario Cristobal announced Thursday the hiring of Alex Mirabal to the position of Miami Hurricanes’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Coach Mirabal back home,” Cristobal said. “From Outland Trophy winners to All-Americans to all-conference players, Coach Mirabal has a reputation as the best offensive line coach in the country and one who is elite at talent development. He also has a track record as one of the very top recruiters in the nation.

“I know Coach Mirabal is excited to return to his roots in Miami and I know he will make a tremendous impact on the physicality our offense and the culture of the Miami Hurricanes program as a whole.”

Mirabal, a high school teammate of Cristobal, has been the one constant on the staff during Cristobal’s career as a head coach. Mirabal came to Miami after spending the previous four years on Cristobal’s staff as offensive line coach at Oregon from 2018-2021. Prior to the 2021 season, Mirabal added the title of associate head coach / offense to his duties coaching the offensive line.

During seven of his 10 full seasons as head coach entering his tenure at Miami, Cristobal has entrusted Mirabal with the development of the offensive line. For the first six years of Cristobal’s head coaching career, Mirabal served as his assistant head coach.

“It’s a blessing to be back home,” Mirabal said. “My job is to make these guys understand that it’s a privilege and an honor to coach here, and it’s a privilege and honor to play here. We have to make sure that those men who came before us are proud of how we’re carrying ourselves. It always starts at the front, on the offensive and defensive lines. The program here at the University of Miami has traditionally been tremendous along both lines of scrimmage, and it’s our job to uphold that tradition.”

In Mirabal’s time at Oregon, the offensive line was the driving force behind Oregon’s offensive success.

In his final season in Eugene, Mirabal helped guide the Ducks to a 10-4 record, including a 7-2 mark in conference play, and their third straight appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Ducks averaged more than 31 points per game each of his four years on staff, including finishing second in the Pac-12 in scoring offense the first two seasons, fourth in 2020 and third in 2021, while ranking in the top 25 in the nation in both 2018 (34.8 ppg – 25th) and 2019 (35.4 ppg – 16th).

The Ducks rushed for 203.2 yards per game in 2021 – ranked No. 24 in the nation – and had 200-plus rush yards on seven occasions, including two 300-yard games

Mirabal was instrumental in Oregon’s success on the recruiting trail over his time there. During the 2021 cycle, Mirabal earned recognition as one of the top 25 recruiters in the country while helping Oregon to an all-time best No. 3 class ranking by Rivals. In the 247Sports rankings, Mirabal ranked second among all Pac-12 assistants and No. 16 overall while the Ducks’ signed the No. 6 class according to the recruiting site.

Mirabal’s success has not only been limited to the recruiting space, but also in player development, where he has thrived throughout his career. In 2019, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman and was a consensus All-American for an offensive line that helped lead the Ducks to a Rose Bowl championship. Sewell opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 and was selected with the seventh overall pick of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

This past season, Mirabal coached offensive lineman T.J. Bass to an All-America season. Bass was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team and recognized with All-America first-team honors from The Action Network. Mirabal’s line helped the Ducks rush for 203.2 yards per game in 2021 – ranked No. 24 in the nation – and its group helped clear the way for 200-plus rush yards on seven occasions, including two 300-yard games.

In 2019, a year when Oregon won the Pac-12 Championship and the Rose Bowl while finishing 12-2, the Ducks’ offensive line was one of four finalists for the Joe Moore Award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding offensive unit in college football. Mirabal coached four players in his time at Oregon who have earned All-America honors, including Sewell.

In between his stints with Cristobal, Mirabal put together a successful five-year run at Marshall as the Thundering Herd’s offensive line coach. Prior to reuniting with Cristobal in Eugene, Mirabal had a league-leading eight first or second-team All-Conference USA selections on the offensive line from 2013 to 2017 at Marshall, helping pave the way for the Thundering Herd to put together a 44-22 record, three 10-win seasons, a 4-0 record in bowl games, two Conference USA titles and a win in the 2014 Conference USA Championship Game.

Mirabal served as the assistant head coach for six years at FIU under Cristobal, working with the offensive line his final three years following three seasons coaching tight ends.

A long-time Miami-Dade high school football coach, Mirabal taught and coached around south Florida starting in 1993 all the way up to his arrival at FIU. He helped lead Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School to three district championships in four years as the Explorers offensive line coach and run-game coordinator.

During the winter of 2007, Mirabal was honored with inclusion on the coaching staff on Team USA Football, a Miami-Dade and Broward County high school all-star team that competed in and advanced to the championship round of the NFL Global Junior Championships XI.

Mirabal began his coaching career at Christopher Columbus High School by taking on a variety of roles. He was the Explorers assistant track and field coach and a volunteer football offensive line coach for six years. Mirabal was the school’s junior varsity head coach in 1994-95 and then took on the program’s strength and conditioning coordinator responsibilities from 1996-2001. During that time, he also assumed the titles of varsity running backs coach in 1996-97 and then varsity offensive line coach from 1997-2001.
For the first time in quite a while, I am stoked. The offense staff has credentials. Now, let's get the same credentials on the defense staff.
 
I hope we didn’t get the short-end of the stick on this hire. It’s going to take a lot of effort to reach the top.
 
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They’re definitely not announcing them one day at a time. I’m just a jerkoff for thinking that if you listen to @Brooklyndee
 
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I can only assume that Mirabal did not play Oline in high school. it has always interested me that in football people often coach positions they never played and I can’t help but wonder how they master the finer technique points not having played the position.
All that to say Mirabal is considered one of the best and UM is lucky to have him.
 
Love this guy. We’re going to get a lot of Top 20 OL committing to play for him.

… starting to get to that time, when the coordinator names start dropping. Let’s go.
 
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I can only assume that Mirabal did not play Oline in high school. it has always interested me that in football people often coach positions they never played and I can’t help but wonder how the master the finer technique points not having played the position.
All that to say Mirabal is considered one of the best and UM is lucky to have him.
there's a ton.

just think of some of the UM guys ....

Hubbard Alexander (WR coach) was an offensive lineman
Don Soldinger (RB Coach) was a D-end
Dave Wannstedt (LBs/DC) was an OL
Jeff Stoutland (OL) was a LB
Jedd Fisch (QB/OC) was a tennis player in high school

the list goes on ...
 
I can only assume that Mirabal did not play Oline in high school. it has always interested me that in football people often coach positions they never played and I can’t help but wonder how they master the finer technique points not having played the position.
All that to say Mirabal is considered one of the best and UM is lucky to have him.
Mirabel actually played o-line at Columbus with Mario. They were teammates.
 
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Challenges in life are a gift. What nature doesn’t give give you in one way, will give you the world in another, if you dare to trust it, follow it. Looks like Mirabal did.
 
Welcome to coach Mirabal. Can’t wait to see the huge improvements from the OL in 2022!! That, and I’m sure given our start to 2022 and 2023 recruiting cycles that he will land 2-3 highly prized OL commitments.
 
Played for Mirabal at Columbus. I didn't play OL, but I spent summers and offseasons with him as he was the strength and conditioning coach for 3 years ( he left my senior year). Don't let the size fool you, this man has an intensity and presence about him. When he speaks he commands your attention. At the very least I can guarantee our OL will be tough, physical, nasty, and play with maximum effort at all times. Those things are non negotiable with him.
 
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