Ever since Alabama began dominating college football, FBS schools have tried to make a splash by hiring coaches off the Nick Saban tree.

An FCS program got in on the action Friday.

James Madison announced it has hired Curt Cignetti as its new football coach, tapping the former Saban assistant to replace Mike Houston. Cignetti was an original member of Saban’s Crimson Tide staff, serving as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007-10 as Alabama began the sport’s newest dynasty.

He now takes over one of the best teams at the FCS level — the Dukes won that subdivision’s national championship in 2016 and played for another one the following year. Houston left to take the vacant East Carolina job after a 9-4 campaign and second-round playoff exit this year, opening the door for Cignetti to continue climbing the coaching ranks.

Cignetti left Alabama for his first-ever head coaching gig at Division II IUP. He compiled a 53-17 record with three playoff appearances over six years there before going 14-9 over the past two years at FCS Elon.

Now the 57-year-old Cignetti will bring a bit of Saban DNA to James Madison.