Why not us .... wheres our curt cignetti

[Lifeleadership]

You win with great players, great coaches and a financial backing to support both of these needs. At Minnesota, we need to rely heavily on developing HS recruits. We don't have the money to buy a great roster. So, we develop great players and grab a few great players in the portal to fill the gaps and develop better depth.

Then create a system and process to get you where you want to go. With a high level of "buy in" to that system, great players have a better chance of maximizing their full potential which leads to
a team that gets the results they are striving for.

At the end of the day, you need a financial commitment from the University to be able to provide the resources to bring in great players and keep great coaches.

Listen to what the President of Indiana shared with the world. They have a very intense finacial commitment to their Football Program which is producing great results.

It certainly doesn't hurt to have a Mark Cuban in your corner.

 

[PMWinSTP]

You win with great players, great coaches and a financial backing to support both of these needs. At Minnesota, we need to rely heavily on developing HS recruits. We don't have the money to buy a great roster. So, we develop great players and grab a few great players in the portal to fill the gaps and develop better depth.

Then create a system and process to get you where you want to go. With a high level of "buy in" to that system, great players have a better chance of maximizing their full potential which leads to
a team that gets the results they are striving for.

At the end of the day, you need a financial commitment from the University to be able to provide the resources to bring in great players and keep great coaches.

Listen to what the President of Indiana shared with the world. They have a very intense finacial commitment to their Football Program which is producing great results.

It certainly doesn't hurt to have a Mark Cuban in your corner.

Go look at IU's and the U's overall classes for 2025 and 2026. They are very similar. Go look at Cignetti's 2024 pay, and the pay of his staff. He was making close to $3 million less than Fleck. Did they get an influx of $$ for 2025? Yes, absolutely. Did it translate into bringing in a bunch of highly rated recruits and transfers that impacted 2025? Other than the QB, I do not think so. IU's overall class for 2025 was ranked #39, the U's was ranked #43. IU's 2026 overall class is ranked #23 (39 total, 10 4*), the U's is ranked #29 (50 total, 7 4*) so there is more separation in this class than the previous two (2024, 2025) as far as rating talent.

I do agree there's a difference in coaching and developing players, no question.

 

[beavergopher]

Our Cignetti coaches the Dance Line.

 

[Some guy]

If anybody here knows where the next Cignetti is, they should point him out. The question isn't where is he; the real question is who is he.

Who is this Cignetti-level (2-for-2 playoff participant, national champion) coach available to take over the Gophers program right now?

If fleck left the gophers I would go all in on Ferris state coach

Offensive innovator
Kind of old.
But wins.
Midwest ties.

If he doesn’t work out you start fresh in 3 years


Super unconventional hire to jump d2 to the big ten.
Tressel was Youngstown to Ohio state

 

[Lifeleadership]

Go look at IU's and the U's overall classes for 2025 and 2026. They are very similar. Go look at Cignetti's 2024 pay, and the pay of his staff. He was making close to $3 million less than Fleck. Did they get an influx of $$ for 2025? Yes, absolutely. Did it translate into bringing in a bunch of highly rated recruits and transfers that impacted 2025? Other than the QB, I do not think so. IU's overall class for 2025 was ranked #39, the U's was ranked #43. IU's 2026 overall class is ranked #23 (39 total, 10 4*), the U's is ranked #29 (50 total, 7 4*) so there is more separation in this class than the previous two (2024, 2025) as far as rating talent.

I do agree there's a difference in coaching and developing players, no question.

If Indiana had the U of M money for the assistant coaches pay, would they be able to keep those assistants around after the 2024 season? Maybe those assistants don't care about the money but I believe that is the challenge the U is facing with the turnover of coaches. Signetti always talks about how important it is that his coaches have been with him for a while.

Rankings don't always tell the full story. Indiana had the best QB in the country (1st Team B10), two 2nd team WR's, 1st Team Tackle, 3rd Team Guard, 3rd team Tight End, 1st Team DLineman, 1st Team LB, 2nd Team LB, two 1st Team DB's and 5 Honorable Mention All-Big 10.

Great players and obviously great coaching. To me, it takes money to keep great players and keep great coaches. I think Fleck does a heck of a job with what he has to financially work with. I believe Fleck is the best coach we have had in my 50 years as a Gopher fan. Just my opinion. Do I want the Gophers to be able to experience the CFB playoffs? Absolutely! Then Fleck needs the financial backing to be able to keep his great coaches and attract the great players.

I agree, Minnesota has to be developmental program. I love what PJ does with the program. We have an opportunity to be really good in 2026. Go Gophers!

 

[RememberMurray]

If fleck left the gophers I would go all in on Ferris state coach

Offensive innovator
Kind of old.
But wins.
Midwest ties.

If he doesn’t work out you start fresh in 3 years


Super unconventional hire to jump d2 to the big ten.
Tressel was Youngstown to Ohio state

Re: the bold italics...
It sounds as though you prefer the Wisconsin approach — keep firing coaches until you win a championship — over the Iowa approach — stick with a coach who has consistently produced a solid result.

Iowa finished number 17 in the final poll yesterday. Wisconsin didn't even make a "meaningless" bowl game.

I assume you'd fire Fickell; would you fire Ferentz?

 

[Some guy]

Re: the bold italics...
It sounds as though you prefer the Wisconsin approach — keep firing coaches until you win a championship — over the Iowa approach — stick with a coach who has consistently produced a solid result.

Iowa finished number 17 in the final poll yesterday. Wisconsin didn't even make a "meaningless" bowl game.

I assume you'd fire Fickell; would you fire Ferentz?

I wouldn’t fire Ferentz or fleck
I would fire Fickell

You should always fire a coach ASAP when you’re confident they can’t make another run.
i think a run now constitutes a 10 win season. Ferentz or fleck could still do that IMO


I am not super sold on fleck. Two years in a row I’ve entered the season thinking it was possible I’d want him gone before the end of the year.
I’ve stated on this board if he left on his own it might be good for both parties.
But I would’ve give him next year an analyze from there

 

[RememberMurray]

Andy Reid was 130-93 in Philadelphia, with a 10-9 record in the playoffs in 9 playoff appearances, 0-1 in the Super Bowl. The Eagles fired him.

Reid went to Kansas City, and we know how that has turned out.

Is Reid a good, bad or mediocre coach?

 

[Some guy]

Andy Reid was 130-93 in Philadelphia, with a 10-9 record in the playoffs in 9 playoff appearances, 0-1 in the Super Bowl. The Eagles fired him.

Reid went to Kansas City, and we know how that has turned out.

Is Reid a good, bad or mediocre coach?

He’s a great coach.
Both he and Philly have had more superbowl success since he left Philly

 

[RememberMurray]

I wouldn’t fire Ferentz or fleck
I would fire Fickell

You should always fire a coach ASAP when you’re confident they can’t make another run.
i think a run now constitutes a 10 win season. Ferentz or fleck could still do that IMO


I am not super sold on fleck. Two years in a row I’ve entered the season thinking it was possible I’d want him gone before the end of the year.
I’ve stated on this board if he left on his own it might be good for both parties.
But I would’ve give him next year an analyze from there

I agree with most of this.

I don't think you fire a coach simply because he hasn't achieved what Cignetti has. That's a ridiculously high bar. If you're disappointed every time your team fails to make the 12 team playoff bracket, or fails to win the National Championship, you are almost certainly going to spend your fandom in a constant state of disgruntlement. I can't and won't live my life like that.

 

[Some guy]

I agree with most of this.

I don't think you fire a coach simply because he hasn't achieved what Cignetti has. That's a ridiculously high bar. If you're disappointed every time your team fails to make the 12 team playoff bracket, or fails to win the National Championship, you are almost certainly going to spend your fandom in constant state of disgruntlement. I can't and won't live my life like that.

Agree.

 

[btowngopher]

Go look at IU's and the U's overall classes for 2025 and 2026. They are very similar. Go look at Cignetti's 2024 pay, and the pay of his staff. He was making close to $3 million less than Fleck. Did they get an influx of $$ for 2025? Yes, absolutely. Did it translate into bringing in a bunch of highly rated recruits and transfers that impacted 2025? Other than the QB, I do not think so. IU's overall class for 2025 was ranked #39, the U's was ranked #43. IU's 2026 overall class is ranked #23 (39 total, 10 4*), the U's is ranked #29 (50 total, 7 4*) so there is more separation in this class than the previous two (2024, 2025) as far as rating talent.

I do agree there's a difference in coaching and developing players, no question.

Not sure I’m ready to crown Cignetti as a master developer when a lot of the success was due to transfer players. Plus he’s only been there two years. Yes they’ve developed some good ones as well, but not sure that is the big difference between him and other coaches. Also it’s hard to distinguish between having an eye for talent and developing talent, but I think with Cig his eye for talent and fit is what separates him from others.

 

[1983]

Watching Indiana win the national championship has got to put a lot of coaches on the hot seat what curt cignetti did is nothing short of a miracle but a lot of football teams around the country have to be looking at it And saying where's our curt cignetti

Going out on on limb. This will not be repeated again for decades. We do not even get in the same solar system for a coach like this nor does anyone else.. Every detail came together for IU and the Cig wrote a perfect score for the band. This was a team that won not a bunch of hired guns assembled like other blue bloods.

 

[Catechol]

I have no idea what you mean by protected rivalry. Sounds like something you made up for the sake of argument. Are you telling me that Michigan, OSU, and PSU were extra motivated to beat IU to keep them at the bottom of the conference? They all probably considered the Indiana game more like an extra week off than a rivalry until last year.

My hunch is that teams treat the IU game more like a rivalry going forward and we will see if what Cignetti has created is sustainable. I'll tip my cap to him if he can.

I was responding to your curious question “is it easier to win when no one considers you a rival?” FYI “protected rival” is an actual term but I used it in quotes because the East schedule was protected in that IU had to play all of OSU PSU and Mich every year which the West teams didn’t. Purdue is their actual protected rival which is fortunate for IU. You’re saying that teams like OSU and Michigan made themselves “easier to beat” because they don’t consider IU a rival, which is absurd.

 

[2727Gopher]

Given a choice where you can have one of them start working for the Gophers, who would you choose? Cignetti or Cuban? For me, it's Cuban and it's not even close. The money is the more important factor. Feel free to say that Cignetti is better than Fleck, but the Gophers coached by Fleck and backed by Cuban would be much better than the Gophers coached by Cignetti with our current finances.

 

[60's Guy]

You know how they say the really good coaches can take your players and you take his and he'll still beat you? I think that's Cignetti. He's good...his staff is good.
I watch Indiana play and I don't very often question the play calls or decisions. I watch the Gophers and I'm constantly screaming WHY? The majority of their play calls have no chance.

Tell me this...what are Indiana's two favorite pass plays?
1. WR runs down sideline as hard as he can to a predetermined spot....stops...locates ball in the air at back shoulder and wins contested catch if necessary....first down. How often do you think they drill that? The receiver knows what to do if the defender tries to jump the route...he uses his body to seal him off. It is simple. It is unstoppable because of the execution. They recruit receivers who can catch the ball. Just common sense coaching.
2. They put two receivers to the wide side. Short side receiver goes in motion...nobody follows...they throw it to the motion receiver and the other two block their defenders. There isn't a defender to make the tackle until a 5 to 10 yard gain.
Bonus 3. Defense plays off the receiver out wide...threw it to him.....if defense makes the tackle it is a 5 plus yard gain...if they don't it's longer...but it's pitch and catch and 100% guaranteed if the receiver can just catch.
It's execution....it's taking what they give you...we do neither. They catch the ball. More drops in title game than the entire year I believe was the comment.

 

[FriendlyWolverine]

Scheme and coaching matters less in college ball. Unless you have a veteran roster held together with high amounts of funding, you have a ceiling on perfection.

Cignetti will regress to the mean, mark my words. His success was a mixture of ideal circumstances (money and timing) and shrewd roster and staff management- not some X's and O's genius.

Fleck would achieve similar results with Cignetti's roster. He's proven to perform above his roster talent level, and those 6th year players are absolute monsters on the field.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

I was responding to your curious question “is it easier to win when no one considers you a rival?” FYI “protected rival” is an actual term but I used it in quotes because the East schedule was protected in that IU had to play all of OSU PSU and Mich every year which the West teams didn’t. Purdue is their actual protected rival which is fortunate for IU. You’re saying that teams like OSU and Michigan made themselves “easier to beat” because they don’t consider IU a rival, which is absurd.

My point is that Indiana prepared for the traditional East powers like they were rivals, but I have a hard time believing they prepared for Indiana the same way. IMO, that helps Indiana in these games.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Go look at IU's and the U's overall classes for 2025 and 2026. They are very similar. Go look at Cignetti's 2024 pay, and the pay of his staff. He was making close to $3 million less than Fleck. Did they get an influx of $$ for 2025? Yes, absolutely. Did it translate into bringing in a bunch of highly rated recruits and transfers that impacted 2025? Other than the QB, I do not think so. IU's overall class for 2025 was ranked #39, the U's was ranked #43. IU's 2026 overall class is ranked #23 (39 total, 10 4*), the U's is ranked #29 (50 total, 7 4*) so there is more separation in this class than the previous two (2024, 2025) as far as rating talent.

I do agree there's a difference in coaching and developing players, no question.

Not going to go player by player but that Hemby guy was pretty good.

 

[USAF]

Given a choice where you can have one of them start working for the Gophers, who would you choose? Cignetti or Cuban? For me, it's Cuban and it's not even close. The money is the more important factor. Feel free to say that Cignetti is better than Fleck, but the Gophers coached by Fleck and backed by Cuban would be much better than the Gophers coached by Cignetti with our current finances.

Moronic take.

Cuban has been involved for one year. He had no role in 2024. Nor with Cugnetti's success at previous levels.

Indiana hasn't recruited at a level much different than Minnesota.

 

[Catechol]

Scheme and coaching matters less in college ball. Unless you have a veteran roster held together with high amounts of funding, you have a ceiling on perfection.

Cignetti will regress to the mean, mark my words. His success was a mixture of ideal circumstances (money and timing) and shrewd roster and staff management- not some X's and O's genius.

Fleck would achieve similar results with Cignetti's roster. He's proven to perform above his roster talent level, and those 6th year players are absolute monsters on the field.

I have exactly the opposite observation/opinion. Perhaps the very tippy top teams could out-talent most opponents, but in college, scheme and coaching are the MOST impactful especially in getting less talented programs to the next level. That’s exactly what happened with Indiana, just listen to Cignetti’s interviews and the players postgame constantly talking about how they were coached on specific plays and situations. Their improvement far outpaced their degree of talent upgrade.

I mean, your Wolverines are a case in point. Whittingham has hinted that coaching was deficient especially with Underwood, but elsewhere too as Moore was obviously distracted, and this led to underperforming results compared to the massive talent level.

 

[Catechol]

Not sure I’m ready to crown Cignetti as a master developer when a lot of the success was due to transfer players. Plus he’s only been there two years. Yes they’ve developed some good ones as well, but not sure that is the big difference between him and other coaches. Also it’s hard to distinguish between having an eye for talent and developing talent, but I think with Cig his eye for talent and fit is what separates him from others.

A bunch of the transfer players were…guys he developed at JMU. And there were holdovers from IU who developed into major contributors, like Becker.

 

[2727Gopher]

Moronic take.

Cuban has been involved for one year. He had no role in 2024. Nor with Cugnetti's success at previous levels.

Indiana hasn't recruited at a level much different than Minnesota.

Moronic reading of my post. I’m not talking about 2024 or this past year. I’m asking whether, going forward, would a Fleck coached Gopher team with Cuban money bankrolling NIL outperform a Gopher team coached by Cignetti with our current level of finances? And I believe the answer is that Cuban’s money would make more of a difference. Feel free to disagree, but if you are going to answer my post, then answer the question it was asking.

 

[MNVCGUY]

A bunch of the transfer players were…guys he developed at JMU. And there were holdovers from IU who developed into major contributors, like Becker.

At this point I don't think anyone would dispute that Cignetti has a very good eye for talent. He brought a number of quality players with him from JMU that played key roles on this year and last year's teams.

He has also benefited greatly from the current college landscape and having an influx of money come into Indiana to support the football program. Those factors have allowed him to take the program all the way to the top in a super short period of time.

Cignetti is clearly a really good coach.....but Indiana isn't winning a National Championship in 2 years no matter who the coach is under the old way of doing things in college football.

They managed to catch lightning in a bottle where everything has come together perfectly for them.

 

[USAF]

Moronic reading of my post. I’m not talking about 2024 or this past year. I’m asking whether, going forward, would a Fleck coached Gopher team with Cuban money bankrolling NIL outperform a Gopher team coached by Cignetti with our current level of finances? And I believe the answer is that Cuban’s money would make more of a difference. Feel free to disagree, but if you are going to answer my post, then answer the question it was asking.

Cignetti won 11 games last year without Cuban.
Money isnt the primary issue.
Give me Cignetti without Cuban every time.
This knee-jerk need to downplay Cignetti to pump up Fleck is nauseating.

 

[jamiche]

Scheme and coaching matters less in college ball. Unless you have a veteran roster held together with high amounts of funding, you have a ceiling on perfection.

Cignetti will regress to the mean, mark my words. His success was a mixture of ideal circumstances (money and timing) and shrewd roster and staff management- not some X's and O's genius.

Fleck would achieve similar results with Cignetti's roster. He's proven to perform above his roster talent level, and those 6th year players are absolute monsters on the field.

Cignetti may never win another national championship but he succeeds in one area where Fleck consistently fails. He's a master tactician and in game manager. Fleck is a solid leader and a very strong life lessons guy. He's one of the least shrewd in game coaches I've ever seen. Just clueless.

Secondly, we are never going to find a Cuban as long a Coyle is the AD. He has no clue how to raise money. Coyle appears to be an ethical guy but his job1 is to raise money so the big boys will come here and stay here. It appears that the U has arrived at about 2023 economics...in 2026.

 

[2727Gopher]

I’m not pumping up PJ or downplaying Cignetti. I’d say the same about other coaches - Ferentz plus Cuban would outperform Cignetti and Gopher money. So would Fickell. So would any competent Big Ten coach. My point is that, going forward, the money is the bigger differentiator than the coach. In my opinion. I’m not saying you need to agree. I’m not trying to put words in your mouth.

Cignetti won 11 games last year without Cuban.
Money isnt the primary issue.
Give me Cignetti without Cuban every time.
This knee-jerk need to downplay Cignetti to pump up Fleck is nauseating.

tt

 

[btowngopher]

A bunch of the transfer players were…guys he developed at JMU. And there were holdovers from IU who developed into major contributors, like Becker.

Understood, but there’s not enough of a sample size to say he develops players better than anyone else. If we’re comparing to Fleck I guess Cignetti is much better at developing players, especially since we are crediting Kill/Claeys for all the players that Fleck had during his first four years here.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Not going to go player by player but that Hemby guy was pretty good.

My overall point is that between signing day and the end of the season, Cignetti and his staff were able to develop and maximize the individual and team performance with a roster of players rated very similar to the Gophers. He did the same last season.

 

[USAF]

Not going to go player by player but that Hemby guy was pretty good.

3 star, 89 grade on 24/7 as a transfer. 15th rated running back in the portal last year. For reference, Gopher transfer RB AJ Turner was a 4 star 90, the 8th rated RB in the portal.

Honestly, this stuff is easy to look up.

Cignetti isnt doing any of this because of money, or getting the highest rated transfers. No matter how diligently you try to make it so.