The Indiana Hoosiers and head coach Curt Cignetti are set to play for a national championship next Monday night and will face off against the Miami Hurricanes.
For years, Indiana football was nothing close to competitive. Since Cignetti took over last season, the Hoosiers have been a serious contender.
Over the last two years, Cignetti has led Indiana to a 26-2 record. His only losses came last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who both made it to the national championship.
With that being said, Cignetti has become a very popular potential NFL head coaching candidate. It is incredibly unlikely that he would leave the Hoosiers to jump to the professional ranks now, but there could be a team or two that places a call to check in.
Keeping that in mind, one surprising NFL team has been linked as an option. CBS Sports analyst Leger Douzable suggested that the Las Vegas Raiders should consider pursuing Cignetti.
“One thing we know, the college game is closer to the NFL game than it has ever been in history, right? Because of NIL, every year’s free agency,” Douzable wrote. “So, Cignetti would know how to handle that, right? And again, he’s a program builder. He’s a guy who has a fundamentally sound team. That’s what the Raiders need.”
Curt Cignetti’s Track Record Make Him an Ideal Target for the Las Vegas Raiders
Throughout his entire college football head coaching career, Cignetti has been a stone cold winner.
He started his career with at IUP, racking up a 53-17 record. After that, he took his coaching talents to Elon and went 14-9 over two years.
Following his stint at Elon, he led James Madison to an impressive 52-9 record over five seasons. Then, he took the job at Indiana and the rest is history.
Cignetti’s personality has been just as fun to watch as his coaching. Known for his harsh in-game stares and never seeming to be happy during a game, fans have enjoyed his style. He also has a knack for getting his players to play hard and stay composed.
Would he find the same success at the professional level? No one could predict that, but his coaching ability and work ethic would give him a fighting chance of making things work.
What Would It Take to Pry Cignetti Away from the Indiana Hoosiers?
Suggesting the Raiders pursue Cignetti is one thing, but the team actually being able to hire him would be another.
Cignetti would owe the Hoosiers a lot of money if he chose to leave for another coaching job. According to CBS Sports, he would owe Indiana $15 million over the next year, $12 million in 2027-28, $9 million in 2028-29, $4 million from 2029-30, $2 million from 2030-31, and $1 million from 2031-32.
If athletic director Scott Dolson or president Pamela Whitten left the school, the buyout would decrease by half.
Not only would an NFL team need to pay a hefty price tag to Cignetti directly, that buyout would be a large chunk of cash. It’s possible a team like Las Vegas would be willing to pay big money to get the right head coach, but paying that much seems like a stretch.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti Connected to Surprise NFL Opportunity