Curt Cignetti’s unparalleled success at Indiana has led to speculation that the NFL might be in his future if he wants it to be.
Cignetti has gone 26-2 since taking over a moribund Indiana program two years ago. That sort of immediate success inevitably leads to questions about jumping to the NFL, but the Indiana coach has no interest.
“I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago. I’ve always been a college football guy,” Cignetti said Saturday, via Brett McMurphy of On3.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti asked if he would consider NFL job: “I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago. I’ve always been a college football guy”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 17, 2026
There are certainly some college coaches that can have success in the NFL, but they are in the minority. Even Nick Saban could not pull it off. For some, the college environment just suits their skillsets better, and Cignetti clearly feels he is one of those coaches.
Ultimately, the NFL will still keep an eye on the most successful college coaches, and will have ongoing interest in ones they think could make the jump. Cignetti has not really received that interest yet, and as far as he is concerned, he does not seem all that interested in getting it.
