Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti Reflects on Tenure at Alabama

Cignetti was the Crimson Tide's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007-11, and he opened up about how much he's learned from Nick Saban.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti hoists the trophy following their win over the Ohio State Buckeyes following the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Simply put, if someone wins the AP Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons, it's fair to say that some of their expertise was built from a previous branch.

This is the case for Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who has turned college football's losing-est program into a powerhouse within just two seasons. After finishing 2023 with a 3-9 record under Tom Allen, Cignetti was hired from James Madison, and IU finished 11-2. In 2025, the Hoosiers took it a couple steps further, as they went undefeated and won the Big Ten title over reigning national champion Ohio State.

No. 9 Alabama will face No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif. It'll be a bit of a reunion for Cignetti, as he came into the beginnings of the Nick Saban dynasty as the Crimson Tide's wide receivers coach from 2007-11.

Cignetti helped Alabama win the National Championship in the 2009 season, and also developed legendary NFL wide receiver Julio Jones during his tenure. Additionally, he was UA's recruiting coordinator, as he played a key role in signing Jones, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and more.

"Yeah, we had a great experience at Alabama," Cignetti said during Monday's pre-Rose Bowl press conference. "It was real important part of my journey. Learned a lot from coach Saban in terms of organization, standards, stock and complacency. I wouldn't be where I am today without my time under Nick.

"My family really enjoyed Tuscaloosa. We had great years there. Of course, we took over a team. We were 7-6 our first year and 12-0 the next year in regular season. Fell short in the SEC game to [Tim] Tebow and Florida and Urban [Meyer], and then had a rematch the next year and beat them.

"We won the National Championship out at the Rose Bowl. So we had four really good years there, and then began another part of our life."

As previously stated, Cignetti was named the nation's top head coach in 2024 in 2025 by the Associated Press, AFCA, Walter Camp foundation and the Sporting News. But in addition to those honors, the two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year earned that title in the Sun Belt with James Madison in 2023 the PSAC with IUP in 2012 and the CAA with Elon in 2017.

He turns programs around. It's as simple as that.

So, how did his time at Alabama create the blueprint to his success at multiple stops?

"Yeah, I probably think about it every single day, to be quite honest with you, because it had such an impact in my growth and development," Cignetti said. "I think philosophically, the program that we run here is probably a lot more the same than different than Alabama. So there's probably not a day that goes by where I don't draw from those experiences."

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