A last-minute change of heart kept Mario Cristobal in coaching, not potentially guarding Donald Trump, and put him on the path to Miami’s CFP title game.
PublishedJanuary 18, 2026 1:45 PM EST•UpdatedJanuary 18, 2026 12:55 PM EST
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MIAMI—There was a time when Mario Cristobal’s path might have led him away from the sidelines and into federal service, possibly even guarding President Donald Trump on Monday night during the CFP title game.
Life brings some pretty weird moments of decisions, and Cristobal had one to make when he was at Miami early in his career as a Graduate Assistant.
After playing for the Hurricanes, and winning a few titles, Cristobal found himself at a crossroads in his future career. Would he follow the route his father, grandfather and brother took by working in law enforcement, or find his way coaching college football?
In 1998, Cristobal was working as a GA at Miami while simultaneously completing the lengthy process required to join the Secret Service, which took more than two years and included extensive testing and background checks.
“It was something that I kind of always envisioned myself doing, working for the Federal Government,” Cristobal said Sunday morning. “I loved every aspect of it. My family has always been in law enforcement, law enforcement, teachers, construction workers. That’s kind of what you do. Come to this country, take two jobs, go to night school. Not me, my parents, obviously.
By the time Miami clinched a bowl berth that season, Cristobal had passed every requirement.
A Change Of Heart
How close was he to taking the job?
Cristobal had already said his goodbyes to friends and colleagues within the Miami football program after receiving word from the Secret Service that he was being called in. He thought it was the end of the football chapter of his life.
“I remember being at the Gator Bowl with a bunch of the players,” Cristobal said about the page he received. “Young — you might know these names — Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Ed Reed. Those guys were young pups. And back then, I didn’t have a cell phone, got a pager, called the so-and-so special agent, assistant to the special agent, Secret Service Miami, for your appointment to come on in and join, and that’s when it hit you, like whoa.
So, that night in his small apartment, thinking he was about to embark on a new career that had run in the family, it all of a sudden hit him that maybe being a coach was more appealing to his heart than a career in law enforcement.
“I woke up in a panic. I love football. I’ve always loved football. Didn’t really play for anybody else or want it for anybody — I just loved it. And I wasn’t willing to let that opportunity go again,” Cristobal said. “By the grace of God, I was able to move my stuff back to my GA office, which Davis Larry Coker took me back and gave me the opportunity.”
Looking back, the Hurricanes head coach sounds very at peace with his decision to stay in coaching. After multiple stints at different spots, which included being a head coach at FIU and Oregon, Cristobal will lead Miami out of the tunnel on Monday night with a chance to bring a CFP title back to the football facility.
To think, he could’ve possibly been guarding President Trump on Monday night inside Hard Rock Stadium. But, it looks as though things have worked out pretty well for the Miami head coach.