Why Nick Saban Thinks Curt Cignetti's Indiana Football Success is Sustainable

EUGENE, Ore. — Indiana football faced questions this offseason about whether it could repeat, or even build upon, the 2024 season, which saw the Hoosiers reach double digit wins and make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

No such questions linger entering No. 7 Indiana’s looming 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday against No. 3 Oregon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The matchup pits a pair of 5-0 squads and is the host site for ESPN’s College GameDay.

The Hoosiers rank among the nation’s leaders in total offense and total defense. They have a 72% chance to make the College Football Playoff, the fifth-best odds in the FBS, according to . They enter Saturday with a 16-2 record under head coach Curt Cignetti.

Nothing in Cignetti’s tenure suggests the Hoosiers are slowing down. That doesn’t stop pundits from questioning it nonetheless.

Nick Saban talks Indiana’s success under Curt Cignetti

During Friday afternoon’s episode of the Pat McAfee Show, McAfee asked former Alabama coach and current ESPN College GameDay member Nick Saban whether the Hoosiers’ success is sustainable.

Saban believes Cignetti is walking a tightrope, but it’s difficult to bet against the 64-year-old who’s won at every stop he’s made.

“I do think it's sustainable, but I also think there's a lot of risk involved when you have that much change every year on your roster,” Saban said. “I was always able to be in a position where you could develop players and you knew what was coming. They bought into the culture and the older guys influenced the younger guys and it just kept on and on and on.

“So you had this sort of built-in tradition when it came to what the expectations were. But when you bring new players in and you have that many every year, that's a more difficult challenge, I think.”

Cignetti, who was the receivers coach at Alabama under Saban from 2007-10, has aced the test in his first two off-seasons in Bloomington.

“I think when you're having that many changes on your roster every year, you have to do a fantastic job of evaluation, which Curt Cignetti has done that so far,” Saban said. “I don't think you could change a program as quickly as he has Indiana, especially one that doesn't have a tradition of success and culture as a football program without transfer portal.

“We need new players, quick players. We need to be able to do this quickly. And he brought a bunch of players from his old school that knew his culture and how he wanted to do it. And got a quarterback in there that could make some plays. Now he has an even better quarterback, in my opinion.”

The key to sustainable building through roster retention, Saban said, is to be upfront with players. When he recruited players to Alabama, Saban outlined expectations for what he wanted from them, be it academic responsibilities, commitment level or character development.

Saban told players Alabama wasn't for everybody, and if players didn't want to do the things he outlined, he recommended they don't come. It was about maintaining culture with each recruiting class.

"I used to tell them everybody can't play for the Yankees, man," Cignetti said. "I mean, that's the way it is. So don't come here if this is not what you want to do, because the standard is high. The commitment has got to be high."

Saban compares Cignetti, Lanning

Saban coached alongside Cignetti for four years, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning was a graduate assistant under Saban in 2015 at Alabama. They held different roles and were at different points of their lives, and coaching careers, while they were with Saban.

Lanning is a defensive-minded coach. Saban described him as energetic, enthusiastic and possessing contagious excitement. Cignetti played quarterback in college; he's rooted in offense, is "very serious about learning football" and has a deep desire to be the best. His personality has emerged as his stardom has grown.

Apart from the success they've had the industry, there are little similarities between Cignetti and Lanning.

"These two guys are probably as different personality-wise as anybody could ever be," Saban said. "I mean, it's polar opposite. But I think the point is, there's more than one way to skin a cat. So, you can be very different in a lot of ways and still be successful as long as you believe in the process and the faith you have in your principles and values.

"These two guys are so different. These two guys' record is very similar as head coaches in terms of where they've been, and probably doing it in a completely different style. But both guys very successful in what they've done.”

Saban singled out Cignetti for the dramatic turnaround he's spearheaded at Indiana, taking the Hoosiers from 3-9 in 2023 to the top 10 in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.

"I do think Curt Cignetti has done a really good job as a head coach," Saban said.

Indiana and Oregon will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Autzen Stadium in Eugene.