Paul Finebaum says he’s still not convinced by Curt Cignetti, slams new contract extension
Published:
Paul Finebaum knows the great things that head coach Curt Cignetti is doing at Indiana, but that doesn’t mean the ESPN college football analyst is certain about Cignetti just yet.
In fact, Finebaum made it known during Friday morning’s edition of First Take that he believes the jury is still out on Cignetti, despite him taking Indiana to the College Football Playoff in his first season there in 2024 and having the Hoosiers at No. 3 in the AP Poll entering Week 8.
The extension raises Cignetti’s average annual salary by $3.6 million and will add another season onto the deal he already had, according to the school. Cignetti’s new deal now features an $11.6 million salary, and it runs through the end of the 2033 regular season. In the midst of all this glory and goodwill for Cignetti, Finebaum said he still has his doubts.
“They did not (make the right move),” Finebaum said. “I think everyone on this panel agrees that he’s done a phenomenal job. But this is how programs get in trouble. Let it play out before you send the Brinks truck. Curt Cignetti is one of the top coaches in America. But can’t you let it play out a little bit? … All I’m suggesting is, take a deep breath Indiana, let the season play out a little bit before you mortgage a guaranteed $93 million contract that you may have to figure out how to pay for down the road.”
Here is Finebaum’s full rant on Cignetti’s new contract extension:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
