Nick Saban had a few names in mind back when he was assembling his first staff at Alabama.
One of them? Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
Saban was on the staff at West Virginia, his home state, back in 1978. The Mountaineers head coach was Frank Cignetti Sr., Curt’s father. The younger Cignetti was a high school quarterback at the time, but spent plenty of time around the facilities.
It was enough for Saban to follow his career. Cignetti already had over two decades of experience as an assistant at the FBS level when he got the call from Saban, who entrusted him to coach wide receivers and coordinate the Crimson Tide’s recruiting operation.