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Indiana's Curt Cignetti ranks first among college football's active coaches ahead of the 2026 season, according to a ranking that scored 10 coaches on career resume, recent success, and results relative to program resources.
Georgia's Kirby Smart is second and Ohio State's Ryan Day third, with NIL and the transfer portal shifting how the sport measures what a coach is actually worth.
Indiana before and after Cignetti No program in the ranking carries a starker before-and-after.
Before Cignetti arrived, Indiana had no 11-win season, no College Football Playoff appearance, no undefeated regular season, and no five-star recruit in program history. All four firsts came under his tenure.
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