Mario Cristobal previews Miami's upcoming training camp and building Hurricanes' team culture
Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mario Cristobal talks with host Alex Donno about his team's culture and offers a preview for Miami's upcoming fall camp practices.
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00:00Here with Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal ACC media days in Charlotte coach heading into year three
00:06How do you feel about the transformation and the implementation of the Miami culture feel strong about it?
00:12You know, we've been working really really hard
00:14From day one to bring in the right people teach the right principles and values so that our organization fully
00:19Understands them and feel that our guys our players our coaches
00:24Everyone's in line and implementing those things and carrying them out the way they're supposed to be carried out
00:29the influx of talent has certainly helped a
00:32Competition at just about every position and certainly helped as well
00:35So all in all we've had a great offseason and feel great about going to year three and some of the new talent here
00:41Coach, of course, Cam Ward who's here as well in Charlotte. What has he meant to this team since he's been here in January? He is
00:49He's a real deal relentless competitor
00:52An alpha leader a guy that really he just works
00:56He works and he makes sure other guys around him work as well. The team has taken to him really really well
01:01He's personable affable
01:04His personality is magnetic people are always around him because they feel his energy his drive determination is really special
01:12so he's been tremendous for us and we feel he's
01:15He's gonna be a key to us continuing to improve our program
01:19Talk about Ward's fit with the offense, you know
01:22He talked about his comfort and Shannon Dawson's air raid and also having that continuity with both coordinators being back this year
01:29That's big
01:29You know
01:30It's been a minute since we've had that and when you have that right away in January when you start
01:35Adjusting when you start evolving the familiarity of skiing the familiarity of personnel
01:41It accelerates things when you add talent that accelerates it even more so that's been really positive for us
01:48Our players certainly have taken to it and they've done a really good job teaching the younger players on how we do things
01:53You know, it seems like Miami is the type of team with you know
01:57The talent at wide out and pass catchers and quarterback
02:00But also the offensive line and the rushing talent you could maybe have the luxury to kind of dictate, you know
02:06The way the offense works
02:07Well, we feel good about the talent that we have and now that talent has to be put to good use and it has to
02:12work really hard and play well, so
02:14We've done those things in the offseason now they have to happen in camp and then they have to happen in preparation then certainly
02:20Of course in the games. It's a it's a process oriented industry. We know that you know and
02:27We feel that some of these things that we've done can certainly accelerate things
02:30but we are on track with all the things that we've done to build the championship football program and
02:36We we're so looking forward to getting to work and training camp here next Monday and Tuesday
02:42Because these guys have been chomping at the bit they want to work your coach something
02:45I've noticed talking to players in recent months is there's really an emphasis on wanting to be a player lead team
02:51How important is that? Oh, it's everything. I mean coach
02:55They'll take you a certain length of the way and the rest said it's got to be the players
02:59Every great team that we played on here at Miami and that we coach here at Miami always had I was always
03:06built
03:07through the player
03:09Just led away. It always has been and
03:12We're getting more of that. It's it's really starting to lean that way
03:16And now they've got to take full control of the things that they can control and when their leadership opportunities present themselves
03:23They got to jump all over they got to do it and they will do it. They want to do it
03:26So we just got to put them in situations throughout camp where they have a chance to show they can do it
03:31You know and imagine though the players that are here with you cam
03:34Jalen Rivers Kiko, it's not a coincidence that they're here representing the you or those some of the leaders of the team without a doubt
03:41They're gone the leadership council. They've been voted there by their peers
03:44They have super bright futures, but they're their focus is a 2024 season. They're ready to get after it
03:50You know coach, of course, we're at ACC media days. How do you feel about the the conference this year coach?
03:56It seems like probably a little underrated and under the radar a lot of good teams a lot of good teams
04:02A lot of good quarterbacks the line of scrimmage on just about every team has improved significantly
04:06It's gonna be a big year for the ACC
04:09How big is it this season? Obviously, Florida State is an annual rivalry, but to also have Florida and USF on the schedule this year
04:16Yeah, it's awesome when you get a chance to play in state teams
04:20You get to further enhance some of the rivalries, you know
04:23And then you get to build some other ones some new ones or newer ones and that's great for the fan base and the alumni
04:30And opportunities for our players to compete against guys they played against in high school
04:34We have such a strong Florida contingent on our roster that all in all itself, you know
04:39We focus on one thing at a time and camp is number one right now
04:42But soon when those games come up you can book it that the intensity is gonna be through the roof
04:46Coach Mario Cristobal is here with us and coach some of the other new players that are in at Miami Damian Martinez
04:53I know he's only been around for a short while arrived on campus in June. But what are you expecting from him this year?
04:59I expect nothing but his best just like we expect from everybody else, you know, we
05:04Again, we've worked hard to continue to build and and bolster the roster and we've created, you know
05:10We've we've implemented and created schemes that use our talent to the best of its ability
05:14And now we've got to put it to use and that's we're looking forward to is actually doing the work now and practicing against each
05:20Other and making ourselves the best most physical most disciplined highest executing team we could possibly do
05:27You're going back to to spring football
05:30Did you do you feel like that was the best spring you've had yet your team has had since you've been back in Miami
05:35So we believe so, you know, we had some guys out due to some injuries or whatnot
05:38We felt that the advancement of and being in a year and a scheme for the second year in a row
05:43It showed up it showed up and I think a lot of young guys got some really valuable reps
05:48Rep set, you know, they they're gonna get reps now during training camp
05:52I think they got some some frontline reps that all of a sudden put them to the test and made them understand and realize how
05:57Important it is to always be prepared. So
06:00And we went all the way through we had a spring game like a real deal spring game scrimmage type situation
06:06And guys got better and that led to a great offseason in this room condition department
06:12Some great OTAs led by our players as well
06:15And that should lead to a great training camp coach. I know you mentioned this morning
06:19Finding Cuban coffee in Charlotte late afternoon now if you tracked any down
06:27Well, best of luck head coach Mario Cristobal, thank you so much and we'll see you in the fall camp in about a week
06:33Sir, thank you. Go Kings