With great success comes great envy. That's something Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers have learned over the last two seasons.
Since taking over for the program with the most losses in college football history, all Cignetti has done is win. Just Google him.
Cignetti owns an overall record of 27-2 during his time in Bloomington, and he led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season that culminated in a historic National Championship last season. There is no denying that Indiana has taken the college football world by storm with Cignetti leading the way, and it's clear that the Hoosiers have plenty of staying power under his leadership.
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Despite the eye-popping turnaround that Cignetti has led in Bloomington, he finds himself at No. 8 on RotoWire’s list of the "most hated" head coaches in the country.
RotoWire gives harsh assessment of Curt Cignetti
According to RotoWire, Cignetti’s spot in the Top-10 of America's most hated college football coaches is due to his so-called "big mouth."
"Big results, bigger mouth," RotoWire said. "The chip-on-the-shoulder jabs at Notre Dame and anyone else within earshot made his persona as big a story as the winning."
Cignetti loves a good press conference sound bite, and he isn't afraid to speak his mind. But while outsiders may think it's arrogance, Hoosier fans know Cignetti's persona is rooted in confidence. It's that kind of swagger that the Hoosier football program was desperately needing.
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From the minute he stepped foot in Bloomington, Cignetti has delivered. His leadership, culture, and persona have turned Indiana into a National Championship-winning program in just two years.
Plus, Cignetti's results more than back up any sound bite he's produced. It's one thing to talk the talk, but Cignetti also walks the walk.
How RotoWire formulated its list of the most hated college football coaches
To build the rankings, RotoWire weighted two inputs squally. Those inputs consisted of social fan-sentiment analysis and a 500-person survey. Thus, the list does not take into account how beloved a head coach is by his own fan base. If that were the case, Cignetti would undoubtedly be at the top of the charts.
Instead, fans of other programs have Cignetti listed among the most hated coaches in college football. People can say whatever they want about Cignett, but his results speak for themselves. Not many people out there could have done what he's done at Indiana. He needed little time to turn the Hoosier football program from an afterthought to a national power, and he has already been named the top coach in the sport in several preseason rankings.
It's not a stretch to say that Cignetti's ranking on this list is rooted in jealousy. Fans of other programs stuck in a rut, or even programs at the top, see what Cignetti has done at Indiana and want that success for their own programs. Thus, IU's instant success under Cignetti has other fans stuck in a state of envy.
LSU's Lane Kiffin was ranked as the most hated coach in the country. Colorado's Deion Sanders came in at No. 2, and Clemson's Dabo Swinney was at No. 3. Other coaches ahead of Cignetti include USC's Lincoln Riley, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Georgia's Kirby Smart, and Miami's Mario Cristobal.
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