Indiana football news: Curt Cignetti joins Kirby Smart atop coaching tiers
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Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti may only have one national championship. But what he did in taking one of the worst football programs in the Big Ten and making them champs puts him in the top echelon of college football coaches, alongside Georgia’s two-time title winner, Kirby Smart, at least according to The Athletic.
“Everyone agrees these are the two best head coaches in the college game,” Chris Vannini writes in his college football coaches tiers list.
“Curt Cignetti unfathomably took Indiana to a national championship and consecutive Playoff appearances, and he’s never had a losing season in 15 years as a head coach, with 11 top-25 finishes (nine of which came below the FBS level) … Since winning consecutive national championships, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have gone three seasons without a CFP semifinal appearance, but those three years still include back-to-back SEC titles and another SEC title game appearance.”
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The article is entitled “College football coaching tiers 2026: It’s Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart, then everyone else,” so it’s not shocking that Vannini has incredibly high praise for these two coaches.
There are some others coming for the throne, though.
In tier 2, called “Established Winners,” Vannini has 10 coaches: Miami’s Mario Cristobal, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Virginia Tech’s James Franklin, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, LSU’s Lane Kiffin, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, and Michigan’s Kyle Whittingham.
If any one of these coaches is standing on a podium with confetti falling in early 2027, like Curt Cignetti was in 2026, they will likely jump into that top tier next season as well.
Related: USC football’s Lincoln Riley stunningly named Tier 3 coach by The Athletic
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