The NFL might call, but don’t expect Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti to answer.
In the build up to Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (15-0) and No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (13-2), Cignetti responded to a question about his future, with several in the NFL media suggesting teams might be interested in hiring him after his wildly successful turnaround in Bloomington.
The longtime college football coach didn’t mince words, rather saying, “I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago. I’ve always been a college football guy.”
Emphatic denial shuts down Curt Cignetti-to-NFL possibility
Cignetti’s two-year stint at Indiana, the second-most-losing program in FBS history, is already one of the greatest the sport has seen, and with one more win, the 2025 Hoosiers will have a claim as one of the most accomplished and best teams of all time.
The Hurricanes are more than capable of spoiling Indiana’s magical season, but if Miami does, Cignetti’s clarification about the NFL means Indiana could be back in the same spot in 12 months.
Per On3, the Hoosiers have the nation’s top transfer portal class, headlined by former TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover. In 36 career games from 2022-25, he completed 65.2 percent of his pass attempts for 9,629 yards (8.1 yards per attempt), 71 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.
Indiana also added former Boston College Eagles running back Turbo Richard and Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Nick Marsh. Defensively, former Kansas State Wildcats edge-rushers Chiddi Obiazor and Tobi Osunsanmi, Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Jiquan Sanks and Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback A.J. Harris stand out as potential immediate high-impact transfers.
With what Cignetti, 64, has built at Indiana, he has no reason to flee for the NFL. He saw what happened to his former Alabama Crimson Tide boss, Nick Saban, during his failed stint with the Miami Dolphins.
Some coaches are much better suited to the college game as opposed to the pros. History has shown making the transition is far from easy. For every Jim Harbaugh, there are five Matt Rhules.
Indiana can breathe a sign of relief that its coach isn’t interested in listening to overtures from NFL front offices. For the eight teams still in the market for a head coach, they’ll have to look elsewhere for their own Cignetti.