When No. 1 Indiana takes on Alabama on Jan. 1, Curt Cignetti will be facing the remnants of a program that was instrumental in his journey towards becoming one of the best coaches in the sport.
In his mid-40s Cignetti joined legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban’s first staff in Tuscaloosa in 2007, serving as the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach.
The son of a Hall of Fame head coach, Cignetti knew he wanted to become a head coach himself eventually, and he was in the perfect spot to put the finishing touches on his readiness to lead his own program. Cignetti was a sponge during his four years at Alabama, observing every detail as Saban resurrected the Crimson Tide, returning them to their former glory as a national powerhouse.
Although he left Alabama 15 years ago to become the head coach at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Cignetti says he draws from his time under Saban daily.
“I probably think about it every single day, to be quite honest, because it had such a big impact in my growth and development,” Cignetti said this week as his team prepares to face Alabama at the Rose Bowl. “I think philosophically, the program that we run here is probably a lot more the same than different than (Nick Saban’s) Alabama. There’s probably not a day that goes by where I don’t draw from those experiences.”
Cignetti isn’t the only head coach leading a team in this year’s CFP quarterfinals who previously worked under Saban. In fact, Alabama is one of the few teams with no ties to Saban.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was with Cignetti and Saban from the start too. He was the Alabama defensive backs coach in 2007, and the defensive coordinator from 2008-15. Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding was the Alabama defensive coordinator from 2018-22. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was the Alabama offensive line coach from 2013-16. And Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was an Alabama graduate assistant in 2015.
Cignetti often talks about his blueprint for running a successful program, and a meaningful part of that formula was derived from his time working under Saban in Tuscaloosa.
“We had a great experience at Alabama,” Cignetti said. “It was real important part of my journey. Learned a lot
from Coach Saban in terms of organization, standards, stopping complacency. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time under Nick.”
It’s come full circle for Cignetti, as he, Saban, Smart and Alabama won their first national title with the Crimson Tide in 2009 where Indiana and Alabama will play next week — The Rose Bowl.
The easier path for Cignetti would have been to stay on board with Saban, who questioned whether taking over a Division II program for far less salary was the right move.
But Cignetti was prepared, in large part because he learned from the best.
“I was just ready for something different. I respected his opinion, but I decided to make the move,” Cignetti said. “I can’t say there weren’t many mornings early on where I wondered what I did because it was such a tremendous, radical change. But at the end of the day, it prepared me for where I am today.”
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