Curt Cignetti’s journey to the top of college football has been anything but conventional-but it’s been built on a foundation of discipline, evaluation, and a relentless commitment to standards. Now, as Indiana’s head coach with an unbeaten record and a Big Ten title in hand, Cignetti is preparing his top-seeded Hoosiers for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal clash with Alabama at the Rose Bowl. And fittingly, it’s a showdown with the very program where his coaching philosophy first took shape.
Before his impressive two-year run at Indiana, Cignetti was one of the many coaches who passed through the Nick Saban coaching tree. But unlike some who fade into the background, Cignetti absorbed the lessons and built his own blueprint. His time under Saban at Alabama in 2007-during the infancy of what would become a dynasty-left a lasting mark.
“[He's a] real important part of my journey,” Cignetti said this week. “[I] learned a lot from Coach Saban in terms of organization and standards. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time under Nick.”
Cignetti thrived in what many have described as a “sink-or-swim” environment in Tuscaloosa. He wasn’t just along for the ride-he was in the thick of it, helping lay the groundwork for Alabama’s rise.
One of his early claims to fame? Leading the recruitment of Mark Ingram, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy and helped deliver Saban’s first national title at Alabama in 2009.
“He was knowledgeable about recruiting and knew everybody on the board because he was sending us out,” said former Alabama running backs coach Burton Burns. “He was built for the job, it was in his DNA.
He knew how to do all those things. He was really good on the road.
I went on the road a few times with him, and he was really good with coaches and the family of those kids.”
That recruiting prowess has followed Cignetti throughout his coaching stops-from IUP to Elon, James Madison, and now Indiana. Since taking over the Hoosiers ahead of the 2024 season, all he’s done is win-24 times in his first 26 games, to be exact.
That includes Indiana’s first outright Big Ten title since 1945. And he’s done it with a roster that’s been masterfully assembled through the transfer portal.
At the heart of this year’s success story is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a 6-foot-5 junior who transferred in from Cal and has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. He’s not just a stat machine-he’s a Heisman winner, and the face of Indiana’s stunning rise.
Nick Saban himself has taken notice of how Cignetti has used the portal to flip Indiana’s football culture.
“When you’re having that many changes on your roster every year, you have to do a fantastic job of evaluation, which Curt Cignetti has done,” Saban said earlier this season on College GameDay. “I don’t think you could change a program as quickly as he has Indiana-especially one that doesn’t have a tradition of success-without the transfer portal.”
Saban also pointed out that Cignetti brought in players from his previous stops who already understood his expectations and culture, helping to accelerate the rebuild. And with Mendoza now leading the charge, the Hoosiers are no longer sneaking up on anyone-they’re a legitimate threat.
Cignetti’s approach to roster building is as straightforward as his sideline demeanor. He doesn’t sugarcoat the expectations.
He doesn’t chase stars. He looks for fit, toughness, and guys who are ready to buy in.
“I used to tell them everybody can’t play for the Yankees, man,” Cignetti said earlier this year. “So don’t come here if this is not what you want to do, because the standard is high. The commitment has got to be high.”
That no-nonsense mentality has defined his coaching career-and it’s resonating in Bloomington. Indiana isn’t just a feel-good story anymore. Under Cignetti, they’re a program with an identity: tough, disciplined, and built to win now.
And as they prepare to face Alabama on New Year’s Day, the irony is hard to ignore. The student has built a contender in the mold of the master. Only this time, Cignetti’s process is the one standing in the way of Saban’s next title run.