BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana's new head football coach Curt Cignetti has been around the block throughout his career. Cignetti brings 40 years of coaching experience to Indiana.
The 62-year old started his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh and has held positions at 10 different universities throughout his career, now 11 after taking over the head coaching job with the Hoosiers.
Perhaps no stop along Cignetti's coaching journey has been as impactful as his time under Nick Saban as Alabama's recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2007 to 2010.
"When I went with Coach (Saban), I'd been coaching about 28 years at that point," Cignetti said at his introductory press conference. "I Learned more from him in year one about how to lead and run a program than the previous 27 years, I would say."
"Just everything from A to Z -- monthly calendar, how to lead and manage people, how to avoid complacency, which he was so good at on a day-to-day, minute-to-minute, second-to-second count," Cignetti continued. "How to practice, how to play the game, plan for winning the game, how to recruit, how to evaluate, how to staff or restaff every year."
In 2008, Cignetti's second season with the Crimson Tide, he helped bring in the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country. That class was headlined by future NFL star Julio Jones.
In his time at Alabama, Cignetti excelled as a recruiter, a trait he hopes to bring with him to Indiana.
"I had the opportunity to get on with Coach Nick Saban on the ground floor at Alabama when Alabama was a mediocre football program, and we went from 7-6 to 12-0 in year two and recruited a class that had six first round draft choices," Cignetti said. "(I was) very instrumental in the recruitment process of a few of those guys that won Heisman trophies, All-American awards, et cetera, et cetera."
During his four seasons at Alabama, Cignetti left a lasting impression on Saban. The future Hall of Famer gave Indiana's new head coach a ringing endorsement.
"Having known Curt for what seems like most of his life, I am thrilled for he and Manette and the Indiana fanbase, and am excited for this opportunity for him," Saban said after Cignetti's hiring was announced. "I've really enjoyed getting to watch him grow since he was with us at Alabama. He's been successful everywhere he's been and I'm confident he'll enjoy lots of success at Indiana. They're not only getting a great coach, they're also getting a coach who does things the right way. This is a great day for Curt and his family and I couldn't be more proud of him."
Cignetti's time at Alabama came to an end following the 2010 season when Cignetti was offered the head coaching position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his first head coaching gig.
Armed with the knowledge he gained from his time under Saban, Cignetti has everything he needs to turn this Indiana football program around.
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