Curt Cignetti reflects on the importance of his time at Alabama to his career

In what is likely the most storyline-driven matchup in the Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, No. 1 Indiana and No. 9 Alabama will clash in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1. The lower-seeded Crimson Tide are the third-winningest program in college football history (984 wins), while Indiana boasts the most losses of any FBS program (715 losses).

The game will mark a bit of poetic justice for Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who was named AP Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Cignetti, who las led the Hoosiers to an unbelievable 24-2 record over the past two years, formerly served on the Alabama staff under Nick Saban from 2007-2010 as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

Heading into the monstrous game, Cignetti was asked to reflect on his time in Tuscaloosa. With the future Indiana head coach on the staff, Alabama compiled a 43-11 record with a BCS National Championship victory over Texas in 2009.

“We had a great experience at Alabama,” Cignetti said. “It was a real important part of my journey. I learned a lot from Coach Saban in terms of organization, standards and stocking complacency. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time under Nick. My family really enjoyed Tuscaloosa. We had great years there.”

Curt Cignetti looks back on time at Alabama fondly

“We took over the team and were 7-6 our first year and were 12-0 in the regular season the next year but fell short in the SEC Championship Game to (Tim) Tebow and Florida and Urban (Meyer),” Cignetti continued. “And then we had a rematch the next year and beat them and won the National Championship out at the Rose Bowl. So we had four really good years there and then began another part of our life.”

Following his stint at Alabama, Cignetti was named head coach at Division II IUP. He led the Crimson Hawks to a 53-17 record from 2011-2016 before making the jump to FCS Elon. Although the Phoenix went just 14-9 across two seasons, Cignetti was entrusted to lead the James Madison program into its next era. This is where the Pittsburgh native would become a household name, as he led the Dukes to a staggering 52-9 record from 2019-2023 before departing for Indiana.

There will be a lot on the line in the game on Jan. 1, as Indiana is seeking its first ever College Football Playoff victory, while Kalen DeBoer is looking to prove that he is truly the right man to lead the Alabama football program heading forward.