Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and Miami coach Mario Cristobal have taken different paths to their current roles, where they’ll lead their respective teams into Monday’s national championship game.
The day before the biggest game of their lives, the two coaches reflected on their paths to where they are today, from Cignetti passing up coal mining for coaching and Cristobal only getting into the sport after getting cut in high school baseball.
Cignetti’s dad, Frank Cignetti, was the head coach at West Virginia from 1976-79 and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1986-2001.
‘I grew up the son of a coach,’ Cignetti told reporters Jan. 18. ‘I was the oldest of four. Where he’s from, everybody was a steelworker or coal miner, and it seemed like a pretty cool thing to do for a living. When we went to West Virginia in 1970 and I was on the sideline for all the home games, it was Bobby Bowden’s first year as a head coach in West Virginia, I pretty much knew in my heart what I wanted to do.
‘I don’t know what else I would have done other than coach, to be honest with you.’
Cristobal, on the other hand, landed a scholarship to play offensive line at Miami out of high school, which started his entire career, as he now leads his alma mater. He played for the Hurricanes from 1989-92, when the program was a factory for future NFL legends.
‘I love football,’ Cristobal said. ‘I was a baseball player that wasn’t very good and got cut. By the grace of God, Dennis Lavelle, head football coach of Columbus High School, was walking by the hallway said you should try and play football. Coach Jimmy Johnson scooped up my brother and I and offered us scholarships to University of Miami.
‘We were able to be part of a historic run and loved every aspect of it. Two parents that couldn’t tell you what a first down was or what a touchdown was, but the ride they enjoyed with us, the journey they went on with us and the way our lives were impacted made me realize I wanted to be part of football and football part of my life for my career.’
Indiana and Miami have taken unconventional paths to the national title game, as well. The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) were the losingest program in college football history entering the season and finished with a 3-9 record in 2023 before Cignetti took over the program. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the school’s first Heisman Trophy, and the roster has zero former 5-star recruits.
Indiana has never won a national championship, and a win on Jan. 19 would mark one of the most improbable turnarounds in college football history.
No. 10 Miami (13-2), meanwhile, jumped into a College Football Playoff spot on the final rankings reveal, despite not reaching the ACC Championship game. It went on to upset No. 7 Texas A&M on the road, before beating No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Mississippi to set up the match with the Hoosiers.
Miami’s national championship berth is its first since 2002, when the Hurricanes fell to Ohio State. Miami hasn’t had a top 10 finish in the polls since 2003, but the five-time champions are making their claim back in elite status.
Based on Cignetti and Cristobal’s backgrounds, they wouldn’t have it any other way.