Mario Cristobal's will look to turn around Oregon's fortunes.

The questions surrounding the abilities of Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal have seemed to dissipate given the recent recruiting victories. Recruiting is half the game. What still stands, and has yet to be proven, is how that talent will be translated onto the field.

The doubters of Cristobal seem to revolve around one defining argument — a 27-48 record as head coach — including the Duck’s loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Winning 36 percent of your games isn’t something to be proud of. In today’s revolving door of college coaches, a swift exit is imminent. So is there something deeper to the awful overall record? Let’s take a look at what Cristobal took over upon his hiring at Florida International University.

Located inland Miami, only a 20-minute drive from the University of Miami, FIU found itself an afterthought. The football program was decided upon in 2000, with the first game in FIU history occurring in 2002. Don Strock, former NFL quarterback, became FIU’s first head coach. After five long seasons and a 15-41 overall record, Strock resigned in part due to the infamous FIU brawl with Miami.

The coaching search ended only 17 days later with the hiring of Cristobal on December 19, 2006. Cristobal was tasked with the impossible. FIU’s facilities were abysmal. The appeal to the school was absent among the perennial state powers Florida, Florida State and previously mentioned Miami.

Cristobal took over a winless 2006 squad. The winless streak continued in his first season with the Panthers until the regular season finale — a 38-19 win versus North Texas. Whatever momentum the Panther’s gained quickly disappeared as FIU was hit with four years of probation after an NCAA investigation. The infractions, occurring prior to Cristobal’s hiring, inflicted a loss of four football scholarships each year of the probation.

The scrutiny was a setback in Cristobal’s attempt to bring FIU to life, but the Panther’s somehow managed to show immediate improvement with a 5-7 season. The team was one overtime game away from qualifying for their first bowl game in school history. Cristobal and company went backwards in the 2009 season with a 3-9 record with brutal games against Alabama, Florida, and Rutgers.

The dismal stretch continued to start the 2010 season. The Panthers entered the year with a four game skid versus Rutgers, Texas A&M, Maryland and Pitt. While all were losses, the Panthers proved they weren’t a team to be messed with while under Cristobal. Against Rutgers and Texas A&M, FIU only lost by a combined 12 points. Despite the 0-4 start, Cristobal and company finished the regular season at 6-6, earning the school’s first bowl berth in school history — a feat which seemed non-existent just a few seasons prior. The Panthers stamped their existence in the college football world with a 34-32 win against Toledo in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl featured on ESPN.

Coming off the bowl game win and share of the conference title, Cristobal captured arguably the best win of his career with an upset victory over Louisville early in the 2011 season. The Panthers carried that momentum and went on to a new program record eight wins.

Following the 2011 season, FIU star receiver TY Hilton entered the NFL draft. With that lack of star power, Cristobal and the Panthers went a disappointing 3-9 in 2012. On an important note, five of those losses were by only one score — but a loss is still a loss, no matter how close.

In a shocking move, Pete Garcia, FIU’s athletic director, made the decision to move on from the man who led FIU to their only winning seasons in school history. The firing displays the harsh reality of coaching — the past can never outweigh the present.

The move proved to be a poor decision, as Cristobal’s successor Ron Turner went a combined 10-30 before his firing halfway through the 2016 season.

Nick Saban hired Cristobal in February of 2013 to be Alabama’s assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. During his time there, Cristobal received national accolades. He was deemed the 2015 National Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports and his offensive line won the Joe Moore Award. His talents as a coach were now known on the national stage.

His success led to his hiring by Willie Taggart at Oregon. Less than a year later, following the departure of Taggart, Cristobal was given another chance at head coach as athletic director Rob Mullens gave him the keys to the kingdom.

Remember that cliché saying don’t judge a book by its cover? Stamped loud and clear on the cover of Cristobal’s book is a 27-48 combined record — the real story is found in the pages. While still a work in progress, the next chapter will begin Sept. 1 with Cristobal leading the Ducks into a new era of Oregon football.

Check out what this new era will look like under Cristobal by clicking here.