Mario Cristobal scrawled notes in pencil on a yellow legal pad during the private flight that brought him to Miami. He carried the pad into the Hurricanes’ football building Tuesday, his first full day as the program’s head coach.

The list of things he’d jotted down wasn’t short.

“It’s time to go to work,” Cristobal said.

Miami threw Cristobal his introductory news conference in Coral Gables, Florida, roughly 24 hours after finalizing the deal that had been expected for several days and could finally be announced after the Hurricanes fired Manny Diaz. Cristobal met with his new team, then went down to the practice field for the event where boosters, trustees and former players celebrated the hire.

“We want to make sure that the program here is always a program that you can be proud of, for the right reasons,” Cristobal said. “A program of relentless competitors. Always, always a team that nobody wants to play. That’s what we want to be. That’s what you’ve got to work to be, because I can’t proclaim that, I can’t tweet that. We’ve got to get together with these coaches, these young men and make that a reality. We’ve got to speak it into existence. We’ve got to work that into reality.”

Cristobal is a Miami native, won two national championships at the school as a player and earned two degrees from his time here. He was lured home after four years in Oregon, where he went 35-13, guided the Ducks to a pair of Pac-12 titles and had them ranked as high as No. 3 in the country.

Oregon made 53 appearances in the AP Top 25 under Cristobal. That’s four more than Miami has made in the last eight seasons combined.

Recruiting will be an eight-day sprint to the finish; the early signing period starts Dec. 15. Cristobal’s reputation as a recruiter is elite, but having basically a week to put together a class would be daunting for anyone.

It’s clear that he wants quarterback Tyler Van Dyke -- who took over when D’Eriq King got hurt and finished the regular season with nearly 3,000 yards in nine games -- to return. Van Dyke has given no indication otherwise.

“It’s obvious, watching from afar and watching film on the way in, there’s not a better quarterback in the country,” Cristobal said.

Cristobal had several family members at the event Tuesday. His mother, he said, is seriously ill at a nearby hospital and will “get the news when she’s ready for it.”

He seemed genuinely touched by the turnout, by some of the words spoken, by the chance to come home.

“What an honor. My God, what an honor,” Cristobal said. “This is incredible. This is just the beginning.”

Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple resigns

PITTSBURGH • Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has resigned after three seasons.

The team made the announcement on Tuesday, a day after Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was named one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

Whipple spent three seasons with the Panthers and put together one of the most dynamic offenses in the country in 2021. No. 12 Pitt finished the regular season 11-2 and won its first Atlantic Coast Conference title behind an attack that averaged 43 points, third among FBS teams behind Western Kentucky and Ohio State.

The well-traveled Whipple worked closely with Pickett, helping him put together the best season by a Pitt quarterback. Pickett set a slew of school records in 2021, including touchdown passes in a season (42) and career touchdown passes (81), marks previously held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

“During his three seasons at Pitt, Mark Whipple was a great asset for our entire football program,” coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. “He did a tremendous job transitioning us from a heavy run attack to one of the best passing games in the entire country. His great work with quarterbacks was obviously on full display, given the outstanding year Kenny Pickett has enjoyed.”

It’s unclear who will take over the offense for the Panthers when they face No. 10 Michigan State in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.

The 64-year-old Whipple’s career has included multiple stops in the NFL as a quarterbacks coach and head coaching stints collegiately at Massachusetts and Brown. He also spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Miami.

Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis wins Broyles Award

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. • Michigan offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis is the Broyles Award winner for the nation’s best assistant college football coach.

Under Gattis’ direction, Michigan ranks 10th nationally in yards rushing per game, 13th in scoring with 37.7 points per contest and 18th nationally with 451.9 yards per game.

The second-ranked Wolverines defeated Iowa on Saturday to win the Big Ten title and have qualified for the College Football Playoff, where they will play Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31.

A selection committee former head coaches, broadcasters, and a committee representing the FWAA selected the winner from a list of five finalists, 15 semi-finalists, and 59 nominees.

The award was created in 1996 to recognize former Arkansas coach Frank Broyles’ history of selecting and developing assistant coaches during his Hall of Fame career.