If you spend any time around Curt Cignetti or watch his press conferences, you can see the Nick Saban influence.
Cignetti was an assistant coach on Saban’s original Alabama staff from 2007-10.
But Saban says that influence is really just coming full circle.
“I’ve always thought Curt had the right stuff, because I actually coached for his dad,” Saban said Friday in an interview with Pat McAfee. “His dad was a coach when I was at West Virginia. His dad was really well organized, a very good recruiter. Curt came up in that coaches environment. He’s very smart and bright.”
Cignetti’s father, Frank, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame after playing at IUP and compiling a coaching record of 199-77-1 at West Virginia (1976-79) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP, 1986-2005).
Curt Cignetti was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for Alabama under Saban.
The Crimson Tide went 12-2 in 2008, the same year Cignetti helped corral the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. Alabama had an undefeated national championship season in 2009, and a 10-win campaign in 2010.
“He was a receivers coach for us and has a great offensive mind and is a really good quarterback coach,” Saban said. “There’s a lot of people who call plays who are offensive coordinators but they’re not really good quarterback coaches. And I think Curt Cignetti is, and I think that’s why his quarterback is playing so well.”
Cignetti left Alabama in 2010 to take his first head coaching position at Division II IUP. He hasn’t looked back since.
Saban went on to say that Nebraska is Indiana’s biggest test to date, and he believes the game will reveal a lot about the Hoosiers’ readiness for the big stage.
You can watch the full segment with Saban and McAfee below.
No. 16/18 Indiana (6-0) and No. 25/RV Nebraska (5-1) kick at Noon ET Saturday at sold-out Memorial Stadium (FOX).
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“I’ve always thought Curt Cignetti had the right stuff because I actually coached for his dad..
He came up in that environment and he has a great offensive mind..
He’s very smart and he’s a really good Quarterback coach” ~ Nick Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/z3vYWAIoPo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 18, 2024
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