Curt Cignetti

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MNVCGUY said:
I think it is fair to wonder if Oregon was actually top 10 good at this point but I think it is still safe to assume they have one of the best teams in the Big Ten and are one of the better teams in the country.

But as has been discussed in a few threads this is another case where the pre-season rankings can skew things. Oregon's road win over then #3 Penn State in double OT looks far less impressive now then it did at the time.
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Totally agree with your post. Hard to tell.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Totally agree with your post. Hard to tell.
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Yeah, you have to kind of go in 3-week chunks of the season.

Alabama seems to be getting better by the week while FSU looks like they are getting worse.
Iowa looks like they are getting better by the week while ISU is getting worse.
Indiana looks like a team that started the season ready and is continuing to improve

Injuries and derail teams really quick and especially at the QB position. Add in travel, matchups and brain development of 18–24-year-olds and this looks like it could be one of the more enjoyable seasons to watch.
 

Gilthorp57 said:
He can definitely coach and has mastered its nuances, but what I think people are trying to say, I could be wrong, but its nice to have a little coin to protect your investment.

At the end of the day, we'll always have life coaching.
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I think the question is what happened first? Indiana was 2-10, 4-8, and 3-9 the three years prior. If they had all of this money and and advantage where was it? If it came in after last season I can buy that but that also means the guy got to the playoffs with players from frickin JMU without all of these advantages. There are tons of teams with crazy recruiting beds in their backyard or deep NIL pockets and they are still mediocre. The guy is absolutely getting it done and it can be done year one. This is where frustration comes in on this board. If a black hole of college football can go from 3-9 to the playoffs the next year then why can't we sniff the playoffs ever? Why does it have to be pie in the sky to want it?
 

GopherGuy82 said:
I think the question is what happened first? Indiana was 2-10, 4-8, and 3-9 the three years prior. If they had all of this money and and advantage where was it? If it came in after last season I can buy that but that also means the guy got to the playoffs with players from frickin JMU without all of these advantages. There are tons of teams with crazy recruiting beds in their backyard or deep NIL pockets and they are still mediocre. The guy is absolutely getting it done and it can be done year one. This is where frustration comes in on this board. If a black hole of college football can go from 3-9 to the playoffs the next year then why can't we sniff the playoffs ever? Why does it have to be pie in the sky to want it?
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The trap is that what is happening at Indiana is the exception not the rule.

It is easy to look at that and say why not us....but it isn't that simple. A coaching change is far more likely to flop then be an instant driver to success at the highest level.
 

I don't disagree. Coaching changes are never a guarantee and I'm not suggesting one. I was more mocking the notion of bringing 13 players from JMU was a guaranteed way to win or that these advantages were doing anything for Indiana before Cignetti got there.
 




MNVCGUY said:
The trap is that what is happening at Indiana is the exception not the rule.

It is easy to look at that and say why not us....but it isn't that simple. A coaching change is far more likely to flop then be an instant driver to success at the highest level.
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That's a good point, and as with most things, I think the extremes end up being intellectual dishonest and the loudest voices in the room. If a program gets to a point where they are stagnating in "pretty good but not great, and no reason to think staying the course gets us over the hump," there is a decision point. That administrators at the point should judge any potential options with these two thoughts in mind: (1) the right guy could do for us what Cignetti did to Indiana and (2) its more likely the new hire will be a downgrade than will have us competing for titles. There is a legitimate risk reward analysis to be done there, which should consider exactly how things are going (stringing together 8-9 win regular seasons would be tougher to risk than consistently making bowl games with 6 or 7 wins) and how good you feel about the potential new shiny coach.
 

Unregistered User said:
100%

I would enjoy the Indiana journey if he wasn’t such a pompous prick

I want them to lose in embarrassing fashion
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I would take their coach and whatever arrogance that comes with it and swap their results and game plans with our guy who trends towards Stewart Smalley and is really barely treading water right now for results and game plan perspective. Results being 7 shitty bowls in 8 years and another one headed our way in year 9.
 



GopherGuy82 said:
They might be buying players now but he brought a bunch of guys from James Madison and won big. Not that those players can't succeed in the Big Ten but it is a step up for sure. When people mention the 13 from JMU it comes off like it was 13 all conference players in the SEC. Whatever he is doing he is getting it done.
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They weren’t all amazing but a handful were extremely good.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
I think the question is what happened first? Indiana was 2-10, 4-8, and 3-9 the three years prior. If they had all of this money and and advantage where was it? If it came in after last season I can buy that but that also means the guy got to the playoffs with players from frickin JMU without all of these advantages. There are tons of teams with crazy recruiting beds in their backyard or deep NIL pockets and they are still mediocre. The guy is absolutely getting it done and it can be done year one. This is where frustration comes in on this board. If a black hole of college football can go from 3-9 to the playoffs the next year then why can't we sniff the playoffs ever? Why does it have to be pie in the sky to want it?
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Well it’s happened one time ever where stars aligned. Indiana is an anomaly and we are the norm.
 


It really is remarkable what he's pulled off this quick. It's one thing to have fast success at a Blue Blood or even a rung below like a Penn State, Tennessee or LSU. Plus, there are so many programs that pour tons of money into the programs like Texas A&M.

Indiana isn't one of those programs. It's not even one that was an average to above average program, Indiana had long stacked up losing seasons. Yet with a new coach they've gone to a national contender in two years

I think that's the big thing with Cignetti. It's like whiplash with the speed he's done this. It took Nick Saban a couple years to put LSU and Alabama into national championship contention. Cignetti has done it with Indiana in a flash.

Most coaches who've had to build up programs usually needed a few seasons. Barry Alvarez didn't get double digit wins at Wisconsin until year 4, Frank Beamer didn't do it at Virginia Tech until season 9.

It's also impressive to do it in football I think. In basketball, a couple great recruits or transfers added to a starting five can help push a team deep into the NCAA Tournament. But with football there are so many more pieces.
 



STPGopher said:
Interesting how he was able to fly under the radar doing what Deion Sanders did with little to no pushback. Coach Sanders proved it could work, Cignetti tailored it to work for his situation in Indiana.
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What did he do that Sanders did?
 

IceBoxGopher said:
It really is remarkable what he's pulled off this quick. It's one thing to have fast success at a Blue Blood or even a rung below like a Penn State, Tennessee or LSU. Plus, there are so many programs that pour tons of money into the programs like Texas A&M.

Indiana isn't one of those programs. It's not even one that was an average to above average program, Indiana had long stacked up losing seasons. Yet with a new coach they've gone to a national contender in two years

I think that's the big thing with Cignetti. It's like whiplash with the speed he's done this. It took Nick Saban a couple years to put LSU and Alabama into national championship contention. Cignetti has done it with Indiana in a flash.

Most coaches who've had to build up programs usually needed a few seasons. Barry Alvarez didn't get double digit wins at Wisconsin until year 4, Frank Beamer didn't do it at Virginia Tech until season 9.

It's also impressive to do it in football I think. In basketball, a couple great recruits or transfers added to a starting five can help push a team deep into the NCAA Tournament. But with football there are so many more pieces.
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I think the quick turnarounds are going to be more common. But I think we’ll see a lot of quick flashes that burn out. See Sonny Dykes at TCU for example, Sanders at Colorado.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Agree and Indiana could be a sleeping giant in the world of NIL. Indiana has become more of a football state since the success that Manning had with the Colts. He might be wise to stay put and build his brand.

College needs to consider getting rails on these buyouts and coach firings.
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How in the world could anyone manage that? you think Penn St was willing to endure the rest of the season with a very unhappy fan base? I'm sure they looked at the risk of losing donor $$$, swallowed hard and made the call to end it. I wouldn't be surprised if they are counting on Franklin taking another job, with his new HC salary offsetting some of the cost. Heck, Franklin himself may have said he had enough of PSU and it was a mutual parting.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I'm not saying that about any of them because they don't seem nearly as obsessed with Cignetti as you do.

Cignetti comes across as an ahole, I don't think there is anything controversial in saying that. There are a lot of head coaches out there that are jerks and as long as they are winning people are willing to overlook it. What he is doing at Indiana is impressive and this year has proven that last year was more then just a pillow soft schedule. They will almost certainly get a second crack at the CFP and maybe this year they may even be able to compete.
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Not obsessed, just incredibly impressed by what he has been able to do. Took JMU from FCS to FBS a few years ago and didn’t skip a beat, turned around the worst Big Ten team in year 1. 15 years as a head coach never has had a .500 or below record.
 

IceBoxGopher said:
It really is remarkable what he's pulled off this quick. It's one thing to have fast success at a Blue Blood or even a rung below like a Penn State, Tennessee or LSU. Plus, there are so many programs that pour tons of money into the programs like Texas A&M.

Indiana isn't one of those programs. It's not even one that was an average to above average program, Indiana had long stacked up losing seasons. Yet with a new coach they've gone to a national contender in two years

I think that's the big thing with Cignetti. It's like whiplash with the speed he's done this. It took Nick Saban a couple years to put LSU and Alabama into national championship contention. Cignetti has done it with Indiana in a flash.

Most coaches who've had to build up programs usually needed a few seasons. Barry Alvarez didn't get double digit wins at Wisconsin until year 4, Frank Beamer didn't do it at Virginia Tech until season 9.

It's also impressive to do it in football I think. In basketball, a couple great recruits or transfers added to a starting five can help push a team deep into the NCAA Tournament. But with football there are so many more pieces.
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Look at the depth chart, most players are JR/SR Transfer players. He's not coaching young players. He's a good coach and know what he needs. Evaluates talent and fills his spots. Big thing is that he does it equally on both sides of the ball and then has a kicker that can hit 58 yard bombs. Impressive with only 10 returning starters.

It will be interesting to see if he wears players out. Yelling at hurt players to telling the media that they need to stop laying of the field will wear thin. Then again if he only coaches them 1-2 years it may not matter.
 

btowngopher said:
I think the quick turnarounds are going to be more common. But I think we’ll see a lot of quick flashes that burn out. See Sonny Dykes at TCU for example, Sanders at Colorado.
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Tend to agree. Bringing talent (that knows your system) to a better school and infuse it with transfers has a ceiling, I think. They still need to bring in quality HS talent to develop over time.
 

Gopherchase said:
I would take their coach and whatever arrogance that comes with it and swap their results and game plans with our guy who trends towards Stewart Smalley and is really barely treading water right now for results and game plan perspective. Results being 7 shitty bowls in 8 years and another one headed our way in year 9.
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Ok so who would you realistically hire as our next coach that is a sure thing to improve our situation?
 

Word said:
Ok so who would you realistically hire as our next coach that is a sure thing to improve our situation?
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Having given it any thought, but generally I’d rather have more of a football guy and less of a life coach. That’s a personal preference but PJ probably only about half the time brings out a product that is any fun to watch on Saturdays.
 

IceBoxGopher said:
I think that's the big thing with Cignetti. It's like whiplash with the speed he's done this. It took Nick Saban a couple years to put LSU and Alabama into national championship contention. Cignetti has done it with Indiana in a flash.

Most coaches who've had to build up programs usually needed a few seasons. Barry Alvarez didn't get double digit wins at Wisconsin until year 4, Frank Beamer didn't do it at Virginia Tech until season 9.
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I don't disagree with your post but to this part in particular....the current college landscape is a huge factor in what Cignetti has been able to do as you don't have to build programs in the same way you used to where the prospects for instant success were much more daunting.
 

Gopherchase said:
Having given it any thought, but generally I’d rather have more of a football guy and less of a life coach. That’s a personal preference but PJ probably only about half the time brings out a product that is any fun to watch on Saturdays.
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You don't think PJ is a football guy? Took W Mich to the Orange Bowl and Gophers to top 10 finish. You sure you're not an Iowa fan?
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Yeah, you have to kind of go in 3-week chunks of the season.

Alabama seems to be getting better by the week while FSU looks like they are getting worse.
Iowa looks like they are getting better by the week while ISU is getting worse.
Indiana looks like a team that started the season ready and is continuing to improve

Injuries and derail teams really quick and especially at the QB position. Add in travel, matchups and brain development of 18–24-year-olds and this looks like it could be one of the more enjoyable seasons to watch.
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Hell a QB injury can get you left out of the playoffs if the committee wants to ...
 

Cobra said:
Cignetti seems a little rough around the edges, but you can’t argue with the results he’s getting.
This is what I hoped we were getting when PJ was hired, and it pains me to no end that Indiana has blown past us so fast. Friggen Indiana!!!
Their 2020 COVID campaign was a fluke, but they’re real contenders now and I wish the Gophers were too.
What he’s proved is that an astounding turnaround into the highest levels can be done within 1-2 seasons in the NIL era.
I tip my hat to you Curt, you got it going on.
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Couldnt agree more, and people wonder why i ask if we will ever be able to compete with Ohio state. Cignetti has seemingly elevated Indiana higher in under 2 seasons than Fleck has done in 9. Im by no means comparing Indiana to Ohio State but its hard to ignore what Cignetti has done in such a short time.
 


BronkosGhost said:
Couldnt agree more, and people wonder why i ask if we will ever be able to compete with Ohio state. Cignetti has seemingly elevated Indiana higher in under 2 seasons than Fleck has done in 9. Im by no means comparing Indiana to Ohio State but its hard to ignore what Cignetti has done in such a short time.
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Not to mention the obvious. Both programs are in/ close to fertile recruiting areas.
 

Panthadad2 said:
Has anybody questioned whether Oregon is actually that good? They barely beat Penn State (OT) which has turned out to be pretenders, then the Ducks look bad against Indiana.
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College football is strange sometimes. On any given Saturday.
 

Word said:
You don't think PJ is a football guy? Took W Mich to the Orange Bowl and Gophers to top 10 finish. You sure you're not an Iowa fan?
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I really don’t I think he’s more of a GM type than a head coach. I think he would fit in perfectly in today’s world where they need GM’s but they don’t pay GM 7 million a year or whatever he is making. Seven shitty bowl games out of eight years you can’t sugarcoat that.
 

Gopherchase said:
I really don’t I think he’s more of a GM type than a head coach. I think he would fit in perfectly in today’s world where they need GM’s but they don’t pay GM 7 million a year or whatever he is making. Seven shitty bowl games out of eight years you can’t sugarcoat that.
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So you are counting Kill and Claeys in this? PJ has coached 6 bowls with the Gophers.
 

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