Looking for the next Cignetti? Start with these traits and coaches
Adam RittenbergNov 14, 2025, 07:30 AM ETCloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.The wildest college football coaching cycle ever is about to enter a pivotal phase. After firings began at Power 4 programs in mid-September — and, at Stanford, way back in late March — the hirings are coming soon.Programs will survey different candidate profiles, trying to identify the best available coach for their specific places. But there’s one hiring process, and one candidate profile, that merits closer examination from just about any program.Everyone should be trying to find the next Coach Cig.The enhanced ESPN AppWatch your favorite events in the newly upgraded ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
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, 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.Cignetti was a respected coach but largely off the radar, having won at James Madison and two programs below the FBS. He hadn’t coached in the Power 4 since 2010. He was 62 years old. His hire received solid reviews but had a wait-and-see feel about it.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.What qualities did Indiana see in Cignetti that have allowed him to elevate the program to unthinkable heights? Perhaps more important, what elements about him were missed or overlooked, which likely delayed his return to the Power 4?ESPN spoke with several people involved in the Cignetti hire to assess the ingredients — or Cig-redients — that have led to his success, what other schools should be seeking and also the candidates in the current cycle who check some of the same boxes.”If you truly want to find that next guy, it’s not going to hit you in the face,” a source said. “It’s peeling the onion, it’s getting to that second or third layer.”Jump to:Who could be the next Cignetti?1. Winner at multiple levelsPenn State’s firing of James Franklin on Oct. 12 placed a different focus on the oft-debated topic of coaching success. What really matters when evaluating win-loss records? Franklin was fired for not beating enough top-10 opponents at PSU. When Nebraska’s Matt Rhule emerged as a possible replacement, his struggles against highly ranked teams were immediately cited.But are enough schools evaluating coaches who have won at multiple levels and at multiple programs? DeBoer rose from Eastern Michigan offensive coordinator in 2016 to Alabama head coach in 2024, but he also went 67-3 with three NAIA national titles at Sioux Falls.Curt Cignetti had winning years at IU-Pennsylvania and Elon before arriving at JMU where he won some more. Lee Coleman/Icon SportswireCignetti, meanwhile, was not just an emerging coach at a Group of 5 school, going 52-9 at James Madison, when Indiana hired him. He also had two winning seasons and FCS playoff appearances at Elon, which had had just one playoff appearance before he arrived. Cignetti also went 53-17 at Indiana-Pennsylvania, making three Division II playoff appearances.He also had experienced success not only at lower-level programs. Cignetti was part of Nick Saban’s original staff at Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide to a national title in 2009.”We wanted someone who had won and consistently won,” an Indiana source said. “All those experiences made him way, way more prepared than if he’d just been the offensive coordinator at some point in Alabama and gotten a head coaching job. We felt that looking at other programs, it does translate.”Editor’s Picks2 RelatedFirst-time head coaches who jump from coordinator roles at top programs have had national-level success: Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham are all examples. Others parlayed instant success in their first head coaching jobs into bigger opportunities, such as Eliah Drinkwitz moving to Missouri after a single 12-1 season at Appalachian State.But Cignetti has shown that breadth of success matters, especially at programs on different levels.”When they’ve done it at multiple places, then it allows you to have a greater sense of comfort of: It’s not just a resource thing,” an industry source said.2. A hands-on approach toward personnelEvery college coach portrays himself as being directly involved in personnel. But the reality is with general managers, growing personnel departments and the payment of athletes through revenue sharing, some head coaches are more overseers and delegators in how their rosters are constructed.Not Cignetti.He served as Alabama’s recruiting coordinator during his time there with Saban, and he has continued to closely evaluate every player he’s considering as a recruit or a transfer. As a head coach in Division II and the FCS, Cignetti maintained a hands-on philosophy. Even after taking over programs with greater resources, he didn’t step away one bit.Unlike almost every other program in the Power 4, Indiana does not have a general manager.”I’m the GM and head coach,” Cignetti said in July at Big Ten media day. “I’m organized, I’m good with numbers. My name is on this. I spent a lot of years getting to this point, I’m the best one to do it.”Some might label his stance as arrogant, but it caught Indiana’s attention in the hiring process.”He has to ‘OK’ every player added to the roster,” an IU source said. “Not everybody does that. A lot of (head coaches) don’t. They may just let their position coach determine who they want to recruit. He’s going to look at every one of them.”Cignetti’s hands-on approach with who plays for him might be increasingly harder to find, given how programs are changing. General managers have important roles, as do player personnel directors and others involved in evaluation and talent acquisition. But those seeking the next Cignetti should prioritize coaches who lean into the personnel process, not away from it.”All these guys are adding more and more staff and a GM and delegating more,” said a source involved in Indiana’s hire of Cignetti. “This guy, he wants to touch it all. We’re getting away from that, but he does it extremely well.”3. A clear vision for the programWhen Cignetti came to Indiana, many got wrapped up in the blustery proclamations he made, from his basketball court intro to “I win. Google me.” But he also relayed a program plan that had been sharpened for many years.Indiana fans who watched Cignetti’s introductory news conference, or have heard from him during the past few years, would spot the parallels with what he said at his Elon intro in early 2017. He talked about working smart, being innovative, finding an edge, playing up-tempo, having high standards, being accountable and avoiding complacency.”It’s not cheesy, it’s not corny, it is legitimate,” said a source close to Cignetti. “Core principles that he has believed in his entire coaching career. No. 1, it’s not bulls—.”Cignetti prjects confidence and it’s not an act. It’s part of his vision for his programs. Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY SportsSome of the tenets Cignetti cited are echoed by other coaches, in job interviews and when they’re introduced at new places. But how he relayed his plan stuck with those involved in his hiring at Indiana.”He’s very matter-of-fact,” one person said. “He doesn’t waste a lot of time and energy, doesn’t try to impress people. He’s supremely confident without being a jerk or an egomaniac. He’s got a lot of humility, because he’s put in the time to know what he knows and be confident in it.”At his Elon introduction, he mentioned having “no self-imposed limitations” for the team. At his Indiana introduction, he said, “Average is the enemy.””He knows he can win,” an Indiana source said. “That’s not really ego. That’s just him.”4. The ability to bring along key assistants and playersCoaching moves in college football are rarely just about an individual. Offensive coordinators are now hired with the hope or guarantee that they’ll bring talented quarterbacks with them, as Ben Arbuckle did for Oklahoma (John Mateer) or Jason Beck did for Utah (Devon Dampier).Head coaches are evaluated through the lens of who could join them and transition well to a bigger stage. Cignetti’s success at Indiana has a lot to do with him, but also the key assistants and players who joined him from James Madison and have thrived at IU.He brought along primary coordinators Mike Shanahan (offense), Bryant Haines (defense) and Grant Cain (special teams). Haines, a finalist for the Broyles Award (nation’s top assistant) in his first season at Indiana, has been with Cignetti at all four of his head coaching stops. Cain is in his seventh season on Cignetti’s staff, while Shanahan is in his fourth. Cignetti also had strength and conditioning chief Derek Owings, who joined him at James Madison in 2020, come to Indiana.Elijah Sarratt is one of several players who came with Cignetti from JMU and is performing well at Indiana. Justin Casterline/Getty Images”Having a consistent staff was really important,” an Indiana source said. “We determined that was a real indicator of success. When people have a lot of turnover, it led to a lot of inconsistencies.”Indiana embraced Cignetti’s desire to bring others with him to Bloomington, but not all Power 4 programs are as willing to do so.”There are others that think, ‘Hey I want you to be my head coach, but if we’re going to scoop down and pick you up from that level, you’re really going to need to hire a (higher-profile) offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator,'” a source involved in IU’s process said. “Sometimes it works. More often than not, it doesn’t.”Cignetti also had several of JMU’s top players transfer to Indiana, where they immediately became All-Big Ten performers: linebacker Aiden Fisher, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, defensive end Mikail Kamara. Even though the players moved from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten, their familiarity with Cignetti, the other coaches and the schemes has made the transition smoother than anyone could have imagined.”He struck gold in bringing that staff and hitting on the transfers he did the last two years,” a source said.Who are the Cignetti-like candidates out there?KC Keeler, Jason Eck, Curt Cignetti, Jerry Mack & Bob Chesney ESPNThe search for the next Curt Cignetti must begin with this premise: There are no exact replicas.”He’s one of one,” an Indiana source said, “but I think you could find coaches that are similar to him.”There are certain elements to Cignetti’s profile that probably won’t be found in a candidate pool, such as his decision to leave Saban for a Division II head coaching job and a significant pay cut. But there are other credentials that match up, and they could help certain candidates get longer looks.Here’s a quick look at 10 current college head coaches who might fit the Cignetti model:James Madison coach Bob ChesneyAge: 48Bio blast: The man who replaced Cignetti at JMU has some parallels in his background, namely success as a non-FBS head coach. Chesney went 44-21 at Holy Cross, an FCS program, and also had very successful runs at Assumption University (Division II, Brian Kelly’s alma mater) and at Division III Salve Regina. He’s 128-51 overall and has never had a losing season, winning 10 or more games four times. Chesney had not coached in the FBS before JMU and has never worked at a Power 4 program, but he’s 17-5 with the Dukes and 8-1 this year. Several of his assistants have been with him at multiple stops, including offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and special teams coordinator Drew Canan.Houston coach Willie FritzAge: 65Bio blast: Fritz is the only Power 4 coach appearing here and might end up finishing his excellent career at Houston. But his credentials still merit close examination for a team looking for a Cig type. Fritz has been a head coach since 1993, first at Blinn junior college at Texas, then at Central Missouri and Sam Houston before earning his first FBS gig at Georgia Southern. He won two junior college national titles at Blinn, twice reached the FCS national title game at Sam Houston and won league titles at all five of his previous coaching stops, including Tulane, where he went 23-4 in his final two seasons and went to the Cotton Bowl. Houston is the first Power 4 program where Fritz has worked, but the team is 8-2 in his second season there.Age: 48Bio blast: New Mexico’s success in Eck’s first season has showcased his colorful personality to a larger college football audience. Eck is a character, and he has proved to be a talented head coach as he has New Mexico bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. A former Wisconsin offensive lineman who played on the 1998 Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship team, Eck was a career offensive line coach until 2022, when he took over the program at Idaho. He coached the offensive line in the FBS at Ball State, but has mostly coached in the FCS, including at national power South Dakota State. Eck led Idaho to three straight playoff appearances and consecutive No. 8 finishes before coming to New Mexico.Temple coach K.C. KeelerAge: 66Bio blast: Like Fritz, Keeler has been a college head coach since 1993 and has had incredible success at multiple levels of the sport. The Pennsylvania native started at Division III Rowan, reaching the playoffs seven times in nine years and making five championship game appearances. He then went to Delaware, his alma mater, and won the FCS (then Division I-AA) national title in 2003 and returned to the championship game in 2007 and 2010. Keeler then left his home area for Texas and Sam Houston State, where in 2021 he became the first coach to win FCS national titles at two schools. He had six seasons of 10 or more wins at Sam Houston State and guided the team’s transition to the FBS. Keeler is 5-5 in his first season at Temple, which had not won more than three games since 2019.Age: 45Bio blast: Mack’s career journey might be closest to Cignetti’s, given the varying levels where he has coached. A wide receiver at Jackson State and Arkansas State, Mack coached wideouts at multiple stops, including Memphis, before becoming a head coach at North Carolina Central, an HBCU, where he went 31-15 with four winning seasons, three MEAC titles and a Celebration Bowl appearance. Mack then gained offensive coordinator experience at Rice before coming to Tennessee, where he coached running backs from 2021 to 2023. After a year in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he landed his first FBS job with Kennesaw State, which is 7-2 and 5-0 in Conference USA. Mack’s varied experience and ties to the South and Southeast make him an intriguing candidate for future cycles.Army coach Jeff MonkenAge: 58Bio blast: Monken’s long-term success at Army is staggering. Army won more than five games just once between 1997 and 2016, when Monken led the team to eight victories and then won 21 games over the next two seasons. He has six seasons of eight or more wins at Army, including last season, when the Black Knights went 12-2, won the American in their first season as a league member and finished No. 22 in the final CFP standings. Monken also had success in his first head coaching stop, guiding Georgia Southern to two league titles and three straight FCS semifinals appearances. He has Power 4 experience at Georgia Tech as an assistant in 2008 and 2009. Monken’s association with the triple-option offense has likely prevented him from landing a Power 4 gig, but few coaches are more deserving after what he has done at Army.UTSA coach Jeff TraylorAge: 57Bio blast: He spent the first 25 years of his coaching career at Texas high schools, most notably in his hometown of Gilmer, where he led the team to three state titles and five championship game appearances. Traylor went 175-26 at Gilmer before becoming an FBS assistant at Texas, SMU and Arkansas. Despite mixed results with those teams, he landed his first college head coaching gig at UTSA and dramatically elevated the program, going 23-5 from 2021 to 2022 with two conference titles. The program entered the American and has winning seasons in each of its first two years. Despite an up-and-down 2025, Traylor is 50-25 at UTSA. Few college coaches are better connected within the state of Texas.Age: 46Bio blast: The past three North Dakota State coaches either left for FBS head coaching jobs or, in Matt Entz’s case, a USC assistant role that he parlayed into the lead gig at Fresno State. Polasek certainly could be the next to make the jump after winning the FCS national title in his first year as Bison head coach and starting this season 10-0. Unlike predecessors Entz and Chris Klieman, Polasek has meaningful Power 4 experience to draw from after coaching Iowa’s offensive line from 2017 to 2020. The Wisconsin native has spent his career in the Midwest and Great Plains regions and projects as a candidate for jobs in the nation’s midsection.Age: 40Bio blast: Morris is much younger than anyone else on the list, and I debated whether to include him as his time as an assistant occurred at two power-conference programs (Texas Tech and Washington State at the time). But his move from Texas Tech offensive coordinator to lead the program at FCS Incarnate Word stood out. He led the program to two conference titles and playoff appearances, winning 10 games in his final season. Morris then moved to North Texas, which is 8-1 in his third season and possibly bound for the American Conference championship game. He has developed a reputation for identifying and developing under-the-radar quarterbacks such as Cam Ward, John Mateer and current North Texas starter Drew Mestemaker.Age: 48Bio blast: Consistency at the Group of 5 level isn’t easy, especially in the transfer portal era, but Helton has achieved it at Western Kentucky. He has won eight or more games in five of his first six seasons with the Hilltoppers and is 7-2 this fall. Although WKU hasn’t won a league title, it twice reached the Conference USA championship game and has consistently had one of the nation’s top passing offenses. Helton has spent most of his coaching career at the Group of 5 level, mostly at schools in the American Conference and at WKU, but he also gained Power 4 experience at USC and Tennessee.
Δημοσιεύτηκε: 2025-11-14 18:18:00
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