Curt Cignetti's rise has been fast, dramatic and impossible to ignore. And as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, the only real question now is whether the climb is finished or just changing scenery.
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In two seasons of big-time college football, Cignetti took the Indiana Hoosiers from national afterthought to national champion. That kind of turnaround tends to grab attention, especially from NFL owners searching for immediate results.
Publicly, Cignetti has said he is "not an NFL guy." Florio points out that those declarations have a way of softening when serious money enters the conversation. And the timing matters. Cignetti is 64, has no NFL experience and is unlikely to be a hotter candidate than he is right now. If an NFL jump is ever going to happen, it would be now.
There are currently multiple NFL teams looking for a head coach. The question is whether any of them believe Cignetti's college blueprint can translate, and whether ownership is willing to write the checks required to find out.
Buying out his contract would reportedly cost around $15 million. Keeping him in Bloomington may eventually cost even more, with Cignetti positioned to earn north of $13 million per year at a program flush with resources and backing from prominent alumni like Mark Cuban.
Florio also traces the bigger picture. Cignetti has won everywhere. From IUP to Elon to James Madison to Indiana, success has followed. A former quarterback at West Virginia, he is the son of Frank Cignetti Sr., who bridged the gap in Morgantown between Bobby Bowden and Don Nehlen.
NFL owners are constantly searching for shortcuts. There may not be a better recent example of one than what Cignetti pulled off in Bloomington. If an owner believes he could be the answer and is willing to pay for the experiment, Florio's question is simple.
Why not make the call?
History suggests plenty of teams will overthink it. And history also suggests plenty of teams will get it wrong anyway.
