"Indiana's hiring of Curt Cignetti from James Madison on Nov. 30, 2023, didn't seem seismic or unusual at the time. Other hires in the cycle generated more buzz, both within the Big Ten (Jonathan Smith at Michigan State) and beyond it (Mike Elko at Texas A&M). The January 2024 frenzy that included Kalen DeBoer leaving Washington to replace Nick Saban at Alabama and Michigan promoting Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh blew up much more than Cignetti taking the IU job."
"Two years later, everything has changed for Indiana football. The team won a record 11 games in 2024 and made its first College Football Playoff appearance. Indiana is currently ranked No. 2 in the CFP standings and bound for the Big Ten championship game and another playoff spot. Cignetti has already received two adjusted contracts and has risen to No. 3 in salary among coaches ($11.6 million). The losingest program in major college football is 21-2 under Cignetti."
A dramatic college football coaching cycle has moved from firings to a pivotal hiring phase. Programs will assess varied candidate profiles to find the best fits for their situations. Curt Cignetti represents a coaching profile meriting close attention after his Nov. 30, 2023 hire from James Madison. The hire initially drew modest attention compared with other hires during the cycle, but Cignetti had a strong record at lower levels and limited recent Power 4 experience. In two years Indiana achieved a record 11 wins, a first CFP appearance, top CFP ranking, substantial contract adjustments and a dramatic turnaround to 21-2 under Cignetti.
Read at ESPN.com
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