'Unreal,' Mark Cuban, Steve Kerr and More Impressed by Curt Cignetti, Indiana's CFB Playoff Run

Some prominent figures in the NBA marveled this week at the turnaround head coach Curt Cignetti has orchestrated within the Indiana University football program.

Former Dallas Mavericks owner and IU alum Mark Cuban gave his thoughts to Nick Friedell of The Athletic regarding the Hoosiers' 56-22 win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl to reach the National Championship Game, saying, "Unreal. I get the chills just thinking about it."

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Cuban continued by noting that he has never before seen such a swift and complete reversal of fortune in the world of sports.

"None," Cuban said. "He literally has turned the concept of 'Blue Blood' programs on its head. Cig's line of 'production over potential' says it all. Some people might not like this analogy, but it's far more like building a professional organization, but with limits on how long a player can stay. There is nothing like it anywhere. Coach, [IU athletic director] Scott Dolson and their staff have figured it out."

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also suggested that he is in awe of the work Cignetti has done at Indiana, telling Friedell, "I'm just blown away. It's one of the most remarkable coaching jobs of all time in any sport. To take a team that has been down for that long in football, a total afterthought in probably the best conference in the country, and to just flip 'em, like immediately."

One of Kerr's players, center Trayce Jackson-Davis, played basketball at Indiana from 2019 to 2023, and he has seen the transformation of IU from unquestioned basketball school to a football school.

Jackson-Davis takes great pride in what the Indiana football program has become, telling Friedell, "It's amazing to be able to call that my school."

He also provided some additional context behind what Cignetti has been able to accomplish, saying, "This was, I think, at the time he took over, the losingest program in football. What he's done is incredible. I don't think there's a story in sports that's equivalent to what he's done."

To Jackson-Davis' point, the Hoosiers did indeed enter the 2025 season as the team with the most losses in college football history with 715.

Before Cignetti took over as head coach in 2024, Indiana had three straight losing seasons, and it had never won double-digit games in a single season.

Cignetti quickly changed that, as the Hoosiers went 11-2 and reached the College Football Playoff last season. This season, they have leapt into the upper echelon of college football, posting a 15-0 mark.

Indiana is now just one victory away from its first-ever national title in football, and all eyes will be on the Hoosiers on Monday night when they clash with the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the national title game.