At a Glance
- Jessica Cristobal, wife of University of Miami football coach Mario Cristobal, was crowned Mrs. Florida International 2025
- The pageant veteran founded Leading Ladies League Inc., a nonprofit networking group for women
- The couple, married since 2006, has two teenage sons who also play football
- Why it matters: The high-profile family balances coaching demands, community service, and family life under the national spotlight
Jessica Cristobal stands on the field at Hard Rock Stadium after every University of Miami home game, celebrating wins alongside her husband, head football coach Mario Cristobal. Their embrace, captured by photographers on August 31, 2025, has become a familiar scene to Hurricanes fans, but Jessica’s story stretches far beyond the sidelines.
The mother of two, CEO, and pageant titleholder has spent nearly two decades supporting Mario’s career while building her own platform focused on women’s empowerment and community service.
From Miss Florida World to Mrs. Florida International
Jessica’s pageant journey began in 1994 when she won Miss Florida World while studying public relations, sociology, and women’s studies at Georgia State University. After stepping away to raise a family, she returned to the stage in 2025, capturing the Mrs. Florida International crown.
“This is so much more than a beauty pageant,” she wrote on Instagram in July 2025. “This organization focuses on purpose, elegance, integrity, and family values.”
In a June post, she added: “This year, I’m honored to represent our state as Mrs. Florida International 2025, and I’m beyond excited to amplify my platform and shine a light on the power of sisterhood, service, and showing up fully as yourself.”
Building Leading Ladies League
In 2008, Jessica transformed small gatherings of professional women into Leading Ladies League Inc., a nonprofit that partners with charities serving women and children. The organization provides mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities across South Florida.
“Since then, we’ve hosted curated events-big and small-always with a mission,” she explained on Instagram. “Every gathering includes a charity partner. Every seat at the table holds space for connection, collaboration, and community impact.”
Before founding the league, Jessica worked in publishing as publisher of International Yachtsman Magazine and president of Brickell Magazine and Key Biscayne Magazine.
Love Story in Miami
Jessica met Mario at a Miami hotel launch party in 2005 through mutual friends. Their connection was immediate.
“We fell madly in love and married within a year!” she shared on Instagram in June 2025.
The couple’s 2006 wedding began a partnership that would span multiple college towns, including Rutgers, FIU, Alabama, Oregon, and a return home to Miami in December 2021 when Mario accepted the Hurricanes head coaching position.
“It was very difficult. We really loved Oregon,” Jessica told the University of Miami football organization. “The decision was not easy because we were truly happy there. But when the opportunity presented itself, we had to do what would be best long-term for our family, and that was to return home to Miami.”
Raising Two Football Sons
The Cristobals’ sons, Mario Mateo and Rocco, have grown up in locker rooms and on recruiting trips. Both teenagers now play football themselves.
“God has blessed us with two amazing teenage sons and they also play football. I love them more than anything!” Jessica wrote on Instagram.
While she rarely posts photos of her children, she calls them her “whole world” and often brings them to games where they join her in cheering from the stands.
Life in the Spotlight
Jessica’s Instagram chronicles both glamorous pageant appearances and chaotic game-day sidelines. In October 2025, she told Inside South Florida that returning to Miami has been “a dream come true.”
“It’s so so wonderful to be back,” she said. “This life is not for the faint of heart. You really have to be a supportive spouse, and this is a partnership, so his dreams are my dreams, and he supports what I want to do with my life, as well, but I always say I would follow him anywhere.”
Public Support for Mario
After a September 2025 win, Jessica posted a video montage of their life together, writing: “As a coach, Mario pours into everyone around him, raising the bar and demanding excellence. At home, he’s our biggest encourager, a loving father, an amazing husband, and the one who fills our home with laughter and dedication.”
The post ended with: “We celebrate the leader you are and the heart you carry with you every day. We love you!!”
Key Takeaways
- Jessica Cristobal balances roles as CEO, pageant queen, philanthropist, and football family matriarch
- Her nonprofit work through Leading Ladies League supports women and children across South Florida
- The Cristobals’ 20-year relationship has weathered coaching moves from Oregon back to their Miami hometown
- Their two sons represent the next generation of football talent in a family defined by the sport
