Drama is unfolding in Eugene after the Oregon Ducks fell flat in the Pac-12 Championship game. The school was willing to extend Mario Cristobal's time with a fat contract, but it sounds like things are getting interesting. He is still thinking about potentially signing a deal with the Miami Hurricanes, which is rubbing Oregon the wrong way.
According to John Canzano, the well-known Nike co-owner Phil Knight “signed off on a 10-year, $85 million extension that was offered by the University of Oregon to football coach Mario Cristobal.” That type of money would have doubled Cristobal's current salary with the Ducks.
However, Mario Cristobal didn't sign the deal before the start of the Ducks' Pac-12 Championship game. Instead, he kept the offer open, got brutalized by the Utah Utes, then boarded a plane for a recruiting trip. According to Canzano, the 10-year, $85 million offer “was pulled off the table when Mario didn’t sign it and got on the plane.”
Furthermore, it sounds like the Hurricanes are struggling to find a new head coach themselves. With the Ducks fighting to keep Mario Cristobal, Miami might have to look elsewhere. However, if it's true Phil Knight and Oregon have pulled their offer, Miami might still have a chance to sign Cristobal, per Mike Ryan.
Miami still feels like they have their candidates. However, as of right now neither candidate has signed on the dotted line. Oregon has been working desperately to keep their Head Coach. Miami doesn’t expect anything to change with regards to the status of their searches.
— Mike Ryan (Ruiz) 🙌🏽 (@MichaelRyanRuiz) December 6, 2021
It's a rather messy situation Mario Cristobal has put himself in. He's rubbed the Ducks the wrong way in the past couple of days. To the point where Oregon might be considering letting him walk altogether. On the other hand, the Hurricanes don't seem to have lost interest, but they can't wait around forever either.
Keep an eye on Mario Cristobal, the Ducks, and the Hurricanes, as the highly coveted head coach is likely to make his decision soon. If he can salvage the relationship with Phil Knight and Oregon, then he could be one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation.
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