The Cignetti Recipe Part 2: The Staff

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 23, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Wide Open Country)

Welcome to Part 2 of the Cignetti Recipe: The Staff.

You may have seen that as a condition of Curt Cignetti's recent in-season extension that he ensured that he would basically have as much money as he wanted to keep whatever staff he wanted. On one hand, that makes sense because a staff is an underrated aspect to a program's success. On the other hand, it's a little surprising to see that Indiana would pay top dollar for the guys that . . .

 

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