As one my old girlfriends told me long ago, this seems premature.
Let’s be clear…Cignetti has won one game against a Top 10 opponent and just became the third highest paid coach in college football, just below Ryan Day and a step above Lincoln Riley.
First, I don’t see how Indiana has the money to post this salary for him. Second, it feels like “we know you’re not going to be here forever and will likely leave for greener pa$ture$, so let’s thank you for making Indiana relevant by getting you paid wherever you go next”.
Your move, Handbags.
University Presidents are idiots. They are like the federal government with a printing press to issue money while they screw the kids that are enabling the money to flow in
Can’t really blame Indiana for trying to keep their coach. It won’t matter in the end if Cignetti wants to move on and make more money and go to a bigger brand (like Penn State or Florida), but at least they’re trying to remain relevant for another week. It will all depend on how much of an ego Cignetti has (which seems to be rather large). Does he stay at Indiana and satisfy them with 10 win seasons or does he go to Penn State or Florida and only satisfy them if they win it all? I would think that he may want to prove how good he is by winning it all at Indiana so that when we “google him”, that everyone will see that he “wins”.
To be fair to Indiana, they play in the Big Ten so it’s hard to play enough top 10 teams to beat them.
That money has to go somewhere before the schools start to pay the players.
Good on him for striking while iron is hot. I don’t see him leaving Indiana, he can stay there and run his mouth without having to prove it. As long as Michigan, Penn State, USC and UCLA are dumpster fires, Indiana can stay in the top half of the conference. He reminds me of Bobby Bowden reasoning why FSU did not want to join the SEC.
I guess this move makes Indiana the Auburn of the B10. The insecurity never stops.
If they want to be the Auburn of the BIG, they’re going to have to step up their cheating game.
I’ve seen multiple “pundits” discuss Cignetti’s success before this deal was brokered. They were more of a “let’s wait and see”. This Indiana team is made up of a lot of seniors and players that he brought with him from his previous stop at JMU. The true test will be over the next few years when he has to go out and secure his own Indiana team. He may be the next great thing OR he could be the next Mel Tucker. Either Indiana has secured their future, or they just tied an anchor around their neck as they jump in the water. Time will tell.
Cue faceplant vs Michigan State this weekend…
Indiana’s 64-year old coach clearly has some skills, but talk about being in the right place at the right time? This contract, in light of the money it takes to buy and retain a roster is stark raving insanity.