Mario Cristobal has very classy gesture upon leaving Oregon

The college football world has been rocked by acrimonious high-profile coaching departures in recent weeks. That helped make what Mario Cristobal did Monday so refreshing.

Hours after announcing his departure from Oregon to take the head coaching job at Miami, Cristobal did a radio interview with Portland’s 750 The Game and reflected on his time with the Ducks. Not only did Cristobal praise the school, but he openly sold the job to potential candidates and urged the school to “win championships.”

A lot of respect to Cristobal for doing the interview. Most coaches, as we know, cut and run. He was effusive in his praise for Oregon. Closed with: "Go crush it. Win championships. Take it to the next level."

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 6, 2021

Cristobal’s conduct is quite easy to contrast with that of someone like Brian Kelly. While Kelly was misleading and lying to everyone associated with Notre Dame on his way to LSU, Cristobal appears to have kept Oregon in the loop as he negotiated with Miami. His willingness to go on the radio and sell the program he’s leaving behind is further evidence that this is amicable.

It helps that Cristobal is leaving for his alma mater, where Kelly and Lincoln Riley left for schools they had no association with. Still, some people might want to take some notes from Cristobal regarding how to handle situations like this.

Photo: Nov 23, 2019; Tempe, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports