Who's up for some last minute staff turnover? Curt Cignetti has been hired by Indiana University of Pennsylvania to be their next head coach. Per Izzy Gould:
Curt Cignetti is leaving Alabama to revive the football program his father once built into a Division II power.
A source with direct knowledge of the process confirmed Cignetti would be introduced Friday morning as the new head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
If this one is a bit of a strange move, know that Curt's father Frank was head coach at IUP for almost 30 years, so this one is big on family ties. Mix that with the head coaching job being offered, and in all honesty I suppose it shouldn't come as any great surprise.
At Alabama Cignetti was the wide receivers coach as well as the recruiting coordinator, and that latter title would trigger some concerns in some cases this close to National Signing Day, but I see no reason to be overly worried here. Truth be told our recruiting class is likely all but finished with the exception of adding Cyrus Kouandjio, and the remaining targets that Cignetti was recruiting are all likely headed elsewhere. Anything can happen, I suppose, but I wouldn't expect any recruiting fallout from this one.
Where Alabama turns next is anyone's guess at this point, but I imagine someone will be named on short notice, and if this departure goes anything like the previous departures we've had this offseason, the odds are likely that Saban already has someone lined up right now. One way or the other, best of luck to Curt at IUP.