Paul Finebaum calls College Football Playoff head coach 'annoying'

ESPN personality Paul Finebaum is never shy with an opinion, but he was finally blessed with a format that fitted him perfectly. AL.com asked Finebaum to sum up these coaches in one word that best defined the coach and his current situation. Ever obliging, Finebaum summed up several coaches in a quick, dismissive burst.

But while many of the remarks are unsurprising (Finebaum jokingly asked 'Who?' about one of the newly promoted power conference coaches, for instance), Finebaum stirred up a bit of controversy with his take on one of the hottest coaches in college football.

Finebaum's surprising take

Asked about Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, Finebaum quickly blurted "annoying." He also explained his take briefly.

There's something about this guy that has continued to get on my nerves. I mean, he has done probably the greatest coaching job of all-time, but he's still annoying.
Paul Finebaum

We asked for one word to describe these top college football coaches, and @finebaum did not disappoint. pic.twitter.com/9KmL2oTMPJ
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) December 16, 2025

Sources of Finebaum/Cignetti tension

Skeptics might suggest that Finebaum's decided SEC bias could be shining through. Cignetti has probably drawn Finebaum's attention with some of his pro-Big Ten stances that have argued against SEC supremacy. Finebaum has previously noted that Cignetti is "brash" and has criticized Indiana's decision to offer a contract extension to Cignetti.

Cignetti's rise

Cignetti has raised Indiana to a spot previously unimaginable. Indiana had not claimed a Big Ten title or finished a season in the top ten since 1967 before Cignetti took over. Coming off an Indiana run where Tom Allen won a total of nine games over his past three seasons, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 season and a CFP berth in his first season out of James Madison.

This year, the Hoosiers are 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation after besting previously unbeaten Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Indiana pulled out one-score wins over Iowa, Penn State, and then OSU, but has otherwise rolled through its schedule, with QB Fernando Mendoza becoming the school's first Heisman Trophy winner.

Cignetti is an unlikely rising star, as the 64-year old coach had never held a power conference head coaching job before Indiana. Cignetti climbed the ladder as an offensive assistant before getting snapped up by Nick Saban in 2007, his second season at Alabama. Cignetti was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for some brilliant Alabama teams.

Cignetti turned 50 shortly before he saw his first game as a head coach for NCAA Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania. From there, he climbed to FCS Elon for two seasons and then to James Madison, which transitioned from FCS to an FBS Group of Five team during his five seasons there.