Imagine being the best at your game, and someone makes away with your winning formula. A similar situation unfolded at Coral Gables earlier this year. Miami lost one of its most crucial staffers to an in-state rival. Now, the other party has significant leverage over Mario Cristobal, enough to dethrone him from the top of his league. What’s worse is that Cristobal is himself linked to this self-destructive turn of events.

The starriest prospects of each recruiting cycle cannot ignore the Big U. Mario Cristobal has revolutionized Miami’s recruiting strategy, being one of the best in the whole of college football. Carson Beck, Cam Ward, Jackson Cantwell – all elite prospects who carry the Hurricane legacy. Cristobal is also a phenom in his recruiting niche, O-line recruiting. Being a master of building the trenches, Cristobal has an impeccable record of producing the best OLs for drafts. And this is where the HC was dealt a gut-punching blow.

Edwin Pata, Miami’s now-former O-line assistant coach, has moved to FIU. He came to Miami as an Assistant Director of Recruiting under Manny Diaz in 2019. But his recruiting genius, paired with that of Mario Cristobal, made Miami the slam-dunk choice for most OLs. According to 247Sports’ Gaby Urritia, “Offensive linemen should be sprinting down to Miami to get developed by Coach Pata at FIU.” This is the first time Pata was completely in charge of a department, making him an even bigger threat to Mario Cristobal.

This will pinch at the HC even more, considering FIU was his first head coaching stint. He more-or-less helped build the FIU program from the ground up, being their 2 HC in history. Being a leader in the Miami front office, he was a key element in Mario Cristobal’s recruiting strategy for O-linemen. With him now at FIU, Mario Cristobal and Miami are no longer the recruiting rulers in the state of Florida. The most promising O-linemen often come from the states of Texas, California, and Georgia. With Edwin Pata now at FIU, Cristobal’s hold in this recruiting niche is no longer the strongest.

Edwin Pata has a heartbreaking connection to UM that should have repelled him from taking a Coral Gables job for good. But he still carried on, making the Hurricanes and Mario Cristobal one of the best recruiters in college football.

Edwin Pata braved tragic past to build Miami as a recruiting power

“If there’s anybody who can tell a player why Miami is the right place for them, it’s me,” Pata told The Spokesman-Review when he was working as a recruiter. But he was able to say that after a brave fight with his past. His elder brother, Bryan Pata, was a DL for the Hurricanes. In 2006, he was tragically killed hours after completeing football practice. It was after 13 years that Edwin reunited with Miami football. Despite the tragic incident, he has no regrets. “What happened to Bryan had nothing to do with the University of Miami. Selling this place, a place he was passionate about, a place our family is passionate about, is no problem” Pata added.

Pata now returns to his alma mater at FIU. In the Conference-USA, the program has one of the best O-lines. He said he was always a “Cane at heart,” despite playing for the Panthers. He accepted the Miami offer readily when he got it. “This was a no-brainer. This is the place I always wanted to be,” the coach told publication. It’s been a long way up for Edwin Pata, and he will finally be able to shape an O-line tha will reflect his offensive genius.

Mario Cristobal may host the top O-linemen of the country, and in Florida. Edwin Pata, who excels in the same areas as the HC, will now compete to change that fact. Long-time colleagues now turn rivals, as they will both fight for the best offensive prospects across talent hotbeds in the country.