From the moment news broke that Mike Tomlin was stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans and media alike began speculating about who should replace him atop one of the NFL’s marquee franchises.
One name that frequently surfaces is Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. But regardless of how often he’s mentioned, the fit makes far less sense than it may initially appear.
As the Steelers embark on a search for just their third head coach since 1969, Cignetti — who will turn 65 on June 2 — is preparing to lead Indiana in the program’s first appearance in a national championship game.
ESPN analyst Marcus Spears made his case for Curt Cignetti
“I think that his personality would fit with Pittsburgh,” Marcus Spears, a former NFL player, said on ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Tuesday.
Cignetti’s immediate success at a program that could reasonably be considered one of the worst in college football history before his arrival makes him a popular name to toss around. But the reasons for the Steelers to pursue a different direction far outweigh his current cachet.