Mario Cristobal claps back at Kirby Smart with a hilarious Carson Beck dig during a lively Steve Spurrier Awards ceremony

The marquee coaches had some fun at each other’s expense.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal celebrates after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round game of the CFP National Playoff at Kyle Field. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Goodness, it appears as though the top college football coaches in the country have stories and jokes for miles. At least that’s the case with Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Miami’s Mario Cristobal.

The two coaches, who know each other very well from their time working under Nick Saban at Alabama, had the chance to have a little bit of fun at the other’s expense on Monday night in Gainesville, Florida, where the Steve Spurrier Awards ceremony was taking place.

Smart went first, and like many Florida State and Florida fans across the country, he couldn’t help but take a dig at Mario and the Miami Hurricanes for their lack of an ACC title.

“He’s like, ‘you ought to start getting on some protein shakes. You’ve had too many carbs’,” Smart said. “And I said, ‘well you probably ought to spend some time with Steve Spurrier because he won more conference championships at Duke than you have in Miami.’ So, Coach Spurrier and him, they’ve got to visit some.”

However, Cristobal got the microphone afterwards, and he had some fun at the expense of Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Mario Cristobal took a dig at Kirby Smart and Georgia over the success of Miami and Carson Beck in the College Football Playoff

“It’s a great piece right there to watch what a player like Carson Beck can do with great coaching,” Cristobal said to the laughter of the crowd. “But seriously, let’s give it up for Kirby Smart. If not for his years of NIL, we wouldn’t have NIL right now.”

“You’ve got to give a guy like Kirby credit,” Cristobal added. “You know what I mean? When you have all that time to sit at home watching us play on TV throughout the playoff when you don’t take care of business. But, congratulations on the SEC and the championship. That’s awesome. We were 5-0 against the SEC — I don’t know what you were — but, man, I’m in enemy territory, too.”

And Cristobal wasn’t done lobbing grenades at SEC foes. He continued to take a dig at the hometown Gators at that moment.

“You guys are super professional. I’ve never felt so welcomed in enemy territory here. Except last year at the Swamp, 41-17,” Cristobal quipped regarding the Canes’ 2024 season-opening blowout win in Gainesville.

Being a head coach at a major college program requires being a good talker. You have to be able to sell your program and relate to people. And Smart and Cristobal showed that, when they’re on the spot, they’re smooth with their words.

And while the barbs are good-natured, we’ll see if perhaps the two former coaching staff mates will get a chance to get the last laugh in the College Football Playoff next season.

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