Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza will play his final collegiate game on Monday night in the CFP National Championship Game against the Miami Hurricanes. Ahead of that matchup, there has been speculation about Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti following him to the NFL.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Cignetti was asked about whether he would give consideration to leaving Indiana to coach in the NFL. That includes the possibility of following Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders, taking over as head coach and working with Mendoza and minority owner Tom Brady to turn the iconic franchise around.
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“I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago. I’ve always been a college football guy”
Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti on his interest in coaching an NFL team
Cignetti will be 65 years old in June. Even if he wanted to make the jump to the highest level, he would immediately become the third-oldest head coach in the NFL, trailing only Pete Carroll and Andy Reid. Further working against him, across more than 40 years of coaching, he has never worked in the NFL.
Clubs have also become increasingly weary of hiring collegiate coaches into prominent positions at the highest level. Chip Kelly flamed out in less than a full season as the Raiders offensive coordinator, and there have not been any recent success stories for head coaches making the jump from the college ranks.
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Realistically, Cignetti’s coaching style might not even work in the NFL. He has proven himself to be a great leader of young men in their early 20s and has built an excellent coaching staff, but working with a 53-man roster of pro athletes might not mesh well with his leadership style.
Besides, Indiana has demonstrated that it is willing to allow him to run the Hoosiers football program his way, and he has been provided with all the resources he needs to build a perennial national championship contender. Even at his age, he has the opportunity to cement himself as one of the best college football coaches in the modern era. There is simply no reason to give that up for a roll of the dice in the NFL.
