ESPN.com · Dec 29, 2025
Rose Bowl: Curt Cignetti's small-school path to Indiana
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SITTING IN CURT Cignetti's office, Ethan Cooper wasn't certain Indiana University of Pennsylvania was the right fit. Then the offensive guard recruit noticed Cignetti's Alabama national championship ring.
"He took it off and let me hold it," Cooper recalled. "That solidified the deal for me."
Long before Cignetti led Indiana to its first perfect regular season and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, he built a winner while honing a blueprint for success at his first head coaching job -- Division II IUP.
