Ranking Curt Cignetti and the other top coaches from the Nick Saban coaching tree

After Indiana's title, head coaches from the Nick Saban tree are dominating college football. Here's the best.

Even if legendary coach turned ESPN personality Nick Saban is finished winning championships, his coaching disciples certainly aren't. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Even with the king of college football coaches, Nick Saban, enjoying his retirement as an ESPN broadcaster, Saban's influence continues to dominate college football.

Indiana's Curt Cignetti, now with his own coaching CFP crown, is just the latest of top Saban disciples tearing up college football. Cignetti's team bested Mario Cristobal's Miami team-- and of course, Cristobal is also a Saban guy.

In fact, Saban's fingerprint is so broad that his coaching tree is more like a coaching forest. Here's a rundown of the top 10 Saban-centric coaches in college football terms.

10. Charles Huff, Memphis

Huff is overachieving with mediocre talent, going 39-25 in four years at Marshall and one at Southern Miss. With the Memphis job now in hand, he's a guy to watch on the up-and-coming coaching circuit. He was associate head coach/running backs coach under Saban at Alabama in 2019-2020.

9. Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Key's better than a 27-20 record, as he has improved Georgia Tech in each of his four seasons. He coached the offensive line at Alabama from 2016 to 2018.

8. Pete Golding, Ole Miss

With the departure of Lane Kiffin (see below), Golding immediately won two CFP games to open his head coaching career. On the one hand, he's 2-1 as a head coach. On the other hand, plenty of great coaches haven't won two CFP games yet. Golding was co-defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach at Alabama from 2018 to 2022.

7. Jimbo Fisher

With 128 wins and a national title, Jimbo Fisher is certainly one of the top Saban disciples who have occupied the college coaching ranks. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Fisher is the toughest guy to rank on this list. His career 128-48 record and 2013 national title at Florida State suggest a higher ranking. But his ugly finish at Texas A&M and the buyout, which still ranks above the largest in coaching history, is a black mark. Fisher was the offensive coordinator and QB coach at LSU under Saban from 2000 to 2004.

6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Sarkisian has had an up-and-down career as a head coach, but he's 93-55 overall and has taken Texas to the College Football Playoff in two of the last three seasons. Sarkisian's early-career personal demons seem to have been laid to rest, and his year atop college football coaching comes as soon as next season. He coached in 2016 and then again in 2019-2020 at Alabama, ultimately serving as offensive coordinator and QB coach.

5. Mario Cristobal, Miami

One more touchdown on Monday night and Cristobal might have jumped a few spots. He initially struggled at FIU, but after his time with Saban, he has starred at Oregon and Miami. Cristobal is 97-79 overall and took Miami to the edge of the championship this season. Cristobal was the associate head coach/offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator from 2013 to 2016 at Alabama.

4. Lane Kiffin, LSU

Undoubtedly, the most controversial Saban-affiliated coach, Lane Kiffin, is also one of the most talented, with his LSU situation providing an ultimate test. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Kiffin has never coached a College Football Playoff game, but is 116-53 and has seemingly risen to the spot of college football's "it" guy (along with Cignetti).

His $91 million deal is great proof that LSU expects huge things from Kiffin. Finally landing in a spot with virtually unlimited resources, Kiffin could rise even higher up this list (or fall of it altogether). Kiffin was offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014 to 2016.

3. Dan Lanning, Oregon

Lanning is 48-8 in four years at Oregon and basically has done everything except win a title. That's both the good and bad there, the success and the inability to grab the big one so far are the story for Lanning. He was a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2015.

2. Kirby Smart, Georgia

In most universes, a 117-21 coach with two CFP titles is going to be the top dog. Smart certainly has his case. But three years removed from those titles, there's some concern that maybe Smart is a great coach who has won by having the greatest players.

It remains to be seen if the portal-heavy world will dilute Smart's excellence or not. For the moment, he makes one heck of a No. 2. Smart coached under Saban at LSU, with the Miami Dolphins, and then at Alabama, where he was defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2015.

1. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Curt Cignetti may have changed college football forever with his 16-0 season at Indiana. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cignetti is the coach who has changed the game forever. Yes, he has won one title as opposed to Smart's two titles. But Cignetti cobbled together a roster of three-star prospects into a juggernaut and has probably broken the glass ceiling for many college football programs.

Cignetti is 146-37 across his career and is 27-2 in two years at Indiana. Cignetti was the wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007 to 2010.