(11-28-2023 09:58 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  Duke is a terrible job that is going to be made even worse when the ACC Six leave.

Cig may or may not take it. But it's not a good job. At all.

Yeah the inevitable exodus of the top ACC schools is going to occur as soon as they have enough offers to break the GOR. In that scenario, there's a non-zero chance that Duke and JMU end up together anyway. I am not saying its likely, but there's a chance you leave for Duke only to end up back together down the road. Duke, despite their resources, is a tough place to compete for recruits with two better programs with more investment and facilities and larger fan bases within 20 miles. Duke will be used as a stepping stone and successful folks will get out immediately (re. Elko) after a couple of 7+ win seasons because the college football community acknowledges how difficult it is to win there.

Is Cig content with seeing 7 wins as a success? I doubt it but that's what constitutes for success at Duke.

everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Well said. I do want to point out that IUP is D2, not D3, but the overall constant is Cig does things his own way, rather than the "traditional" way. Hope he stays and takes us to P5 levels.

(11-28-2023 10:52 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  Well said. I do want to point out that IUP is D2, not D3, but the overall constant is Cig does things his own way, rather than the "traditional" way. Hope he stays and takes us to P5 levels.

Well said...and his kids are grown and successful, so that pressure is off ..

Gotta assume he likes living in Hburg too (over a major metro)

I'm thinking there is just one job he wants outside of JMU ..ad that's Bama. He'll need to bring us to the CFP a few times to make that happen...fine by me

(11-28-2023 10:52 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  Well said. I do want to point out that IUP is D2, not D3, but the overall constant is Cig does things his own way, rather than the "traditional" way. Hope he stays and takes us to P5 levels.

And I believe his salary was cut to a 1/3 in making that move, going home to him meant something at the time and getting Head Coach on the resume helped in the long run. One step backward to go 3 steps forward.

(11-28-2023 11:08 AM)bcp_jmu Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:52 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  Well said. I do want to point out that IUP is D2, not D3, but the overall constant is Cig does things his own way, rather than the "traditional" way. Hope he stays and takes us to P5 levels.

Well said...and his kids are grown and successful, so that pressure is off ..

Gotta assume he likes living in Hburg too (over a major metro)

I'm thinking there is just one job he wants outside of JMU ..ad that's Bama. He'll need to bring us to the CFP a few times to make that happen...fine by me

I don't think at his age he's hung up on Bama, I think the more realistic choices would be WVU, Pitt, NC State and a few others.

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

we need to fill in a few holes, but if we do that, next year could be the latest "special" season.

My portal wants are:

RB - don't trust Black. injuries have decimated him. Need a real stud RB here
WR - need a burner. Sarratt is great. All Sun Belt guy easily. But we need a deep threat to replace Reggie to go with him.
OL - wouldn't mind bringing in some competition here
Edge - was a noticeable difference without Green. In the past, we've always had the "next" guy on the edge teasing throughout the year. Don't see that on the current roster. If Okonji can come back, that would be amazing. if not, need to hit the portal for an Edge guy, maybe two. I feel we are good in the interior with Carpenter, Tucker and Bush.

other than that, should be loaded everywhere and ready for another great season.

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Absolutely agree!
Don't forget that his dad told him a long time ago to be on the look out for the JMU job. Plus, he wanted the JMU job bad enough that he applied for it once before (I think during the Withers hire) and was turned down. So he's wanted the job for a while.
I've said it before, but I believe Cignetti is a legacy guy. Money fuels some guys, but I believe legacy is what fuels Cignetti. He wants to be remembered. He doesn't just want to go somewhere to be alright. He wants a statue.
If he keeps what he is doing at JMU going, Cignetti is going to get his statue and probably a lot more to go with it. His name will be remembered long after he retires.
He's already built something great, but he can build it even greater.
And if he were to leave now, he would be missing out on the fruits of his labors. Possible CFP or NY6 bowl. An actual chance at a National Championship. If he leaves, the next guy is going to take advantage of all the hard work Cignetti did. Cignetti might be fine with that, but I don't take him as a guy that would just hand over the reigns.
I think there are places he would leave, but I really doubt he wants a project. And on top of that, there are only a select few teams that have the pathway to the CFP that we do right now.
Only time will tell.

Cig seems like a guy you can go fishing with, and he'll know what he's doing instead of acting a fool

(11-28-2023 01:26 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Absolutely agree!
Don't forget that his dad told him a long time ago to be on the look out for the JMU job. Plus, he wanted the JMU job bad enough that he applied for it once before (I think during the Withers hire) and was turned down. So he's wanted the job for a while.
I've said it before, but I believe Cignetti is a legacy guy. Money fuels some guys, but I believe legacy is what fuels Cignetti. He wants to be remembered. He doesn't just want to go somewhere to be alright. He wants a statue.
If he keeps what he is doing at JMU going, Cignetti is going to get his statue and probably a lot more to go with it. His name will be remembered long after he retires.
He's already built something great, but he can build it even greater.
And if he were to leave now, he would be missing out on the fruits of his labors. Possible CFP or NY6 bowl. An actual chance at a National Championship. If he leaves, the next guy is going to take advantage of all the hard work Cignetti did. Cignetti might be fine with that, but I don't take him as a guy that would just hand over the reigns.
I think there are places he would leave, but I really doubt he wants a project. And on top of that, there are only a select few teams that have the pathway to the CFP that we do right now.
Only time will tell.

Couldn’t have said it better. Cignetti had a new energy about himself after Game Day. Either because he knows he’ll have labor market suitors or there was a part of his brain that clicked in that said, these students and fans, cheering me and my team on, this is what I want as a football guy.

He could leave, he could stay. Idk. I’m not wasting energy until he announces the day he’s leaving. I think there is chance we get that unicorn coach that wants to become a legend at JMU. Except monetarily, he’s ahead of Mike Houston and all he had to do was stick around for 5 years.

(11-28-2023 12:32 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Quote:Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

we need to fill in a few holes, but if we do that, next year could be the latest "special" season.

My portal wants are:

RB - don't trust Black. injuries have decimated him. Need a real stud RB here
WR - need a burner. Sarratt is great. All Sun Belt guy easily. But we need a deep threat to replace Reggie to go with him.
OL - wouldn't mind bringing in some competition here
Edge - was a noticeable difference without Green. In the past, we've always had the "next" guy on the edge teasing throughout the year. Don't see that on the current roster. If Okonji can come back, that would be amazing. if not, need to hit the portal for an Edge guy, maybe two. I feel we are good in the interior with Carpenter, Tucker and Bush.

other than that, should be loaded everywhere and ready for another great season.

I like the idea of focusing on FCS transfers that have excelled. Usually transfers from FBS programs don't work out with the exception of QB. I hope our strategy is to find OL/DL and RB from IVY league, CAA, Big South, Southern Conference and/or Missouri Valley. If someone is transferring from a P5 program they probably will not have a huge impact on our roster. Thinking about the 1 time transfer rule it would be smart to keep a large percentage of transfers on the roster for continuity. We could create an FCS all-star team at JMU. Getting P5 transfers makes us feel good but I don't believe it has a huge impact on improving overall depth and talent.

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Here's where I would differ with that statement....

1. Cig has a good shot at getting the top G5 slot at JMU, but it is certainly not a given. As well as we have done this year, I believe we are generally considered #3 behind Tulane and Toledo, both of whom I believe we are better than, but we are talking about rankings and who gets the CFP slot. If we had beaten App, I believe we would be the top-ranked G5. But we didn't, so we aren't.

2. With the exodus of the top ACC schools, that is going to leave Duke in a very good position to get a CFP AQ as conference champ or an at-large, probably a greater likelihood than JMU being one of the top two G5s every year). For that to happen, Cig is going to have to be able to recruit at Duke (THE MAN CAN RECRUIT!) and have the admin behind him, something I think he now questions at JMU. Bottom line: Cig's CFP chances almost certainly go up, not down, with a move to Durham.

3. Anyone who believes Duke's fans are "disinterested" has probably never watched a Duke basketball game. They are still called the "Cameron Crazies" for a reason. Give Blue Devil fans a winning product, and they will be all-in, guaranteed.

4. And, of course, there's the money. Duke can do anything it wants and pay anything they want.

I don't want Cig to leave, but I believe these are things he is likely thinking about right now.

Some of you may be right, maybe Duke won't have him. But, unless they are insane, he is at the top of their wishlist.

The denial is deep on here. For an "undesirable job" Duke's last coach just cashed in 2 years of work for a massive payday.

There are very few coaches who ever passed up standard deviations of wealth out of loyalty to a school they had no prior connection to. Jonathan Smith just left burnout marks a mile long ditching $4.85 million a year at his alma mater for a 50% pay raise and getting the pressure of facing Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State every year.

We have to hope Duke is the most desirable opening over the next few years and some big-time boosters can distract Cig enough to stay. But any coach with any passion is looking at any opportunity to sink their teeth into that also happens to shower them with money.

(11-28-2023 02:01 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Here's where I would differ with that statement....

1. Cig has a good shot at getting the top G5 slot at JMU, but it is certainly not a given. As well as we have done this year, I believe we are generally considered #3 behind Tulane and Toledo, both of whom I believe we are better than, but we are talking about rankings and who gets the CFP slot. If we had beaten App, I believe we would be #1. But we didn't, so we aren't.

2. With the exodus of the top ACC schools, that is going to leave Duke in a very good position to get a CFP AQ as conference champ or an at-large, probably a greater likelihood than JMU being one of the top two G5s every year. For that to happen, Cig is going to have to be able to recruit at Duke (THE MAN CAN RECRUIT!) and have the admin behind him, something I think he now questions at JMU. Bottom line: Cig's CFP chances almost certainly go up, not down, with a move to Durham.

3. Anyone who believes Duke's fans are disinterested have obviously never watched a Duke basketball game. They are still called the "Cameron Crazies" for a reason. Give Blue Devil fans a winning product, and they will be all-in, guaranteed.

4. And, of course, there's the money. Duke can do anything it wants and pay anything they want.

I don't want Cig to leave, but I believe these are things he is likely thinking about right now.

Some of you may be right, maybe Duke won't have him. But, unless they are insane, he is at the top of their wishlist.

He’s probably on their list but looking down at the G5 from top (P5), what makes Cig that much different than Jamey Chadwell, Willie Fritz, Jason Candle? Or different from the excitement of an up and coming assistant or a retread like Mullen.

Think of when Syracuse opened. Many said, “Oh my gosh don’t take Cig. One article mentioned his name, don’t touch him”. They looked at Dan Mullen, the Holy Cross guy, and now Brown the DBs coach/recruiter from UGA will most likely be their guy.

I agree Duke has a lot of advantages but they have to want our guy first. I really haven’t been that paranoid about Cig leaving this year. Rather it’s if he takes us to the CFP next year is when I worry and frankly a good problem to have. It’s possible Duke or elsewhere throws the kitchen sink to get him but he also has to win out in the coaching politics at the P5. Stoops is gonna coach at TAMU, oh wait now it’s Elko who we weren’t sure about being the front runner after he was and wasn’t it. Are you sure it’s Elko, Traylor was heavily mentioned? Oh it is actually Elko. Let’s do happy TAMU dance at the podium.

(11-28-2023 02:01 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Here's where I would differ with that statement....

1. Cig has a good shot at getting the top G5 slot at JMU, but it is certainly not a given. As well as we have done this year, I believe we are generally considered #3 behind Tulane and Toledo, both of whom I believe we are better than, but we are talking about rankings and who gets the CFP slot. If we had beaten App, I believe we would be the top-ranked G5. But we didn't, so we aren't.

2. With the exodus of the top ACC schools, that is going to leave Duke in a very good position to get a CFP AQ as conference champ or an at-large, probably a greater likelihood than JMU being one of the top two G5s every year). For that to happen, Cig is going to have to be able to recruit at Duke (THE MAN CAN RECRUIT!) and have the admin behind him, something I think he now questions at JMU. Bottom line: Cig's CFP chances almost certainly go up, not down, with a move to Durham.

3. Anyone who believes Duke's fans are "disinterested" has probably never watched a Duke basketball game. They are still called the "Cameron Crazies" for a reason. Give Blue Devil fans a winning product, and they will be all-in, guaranteed.

4. And, of course, there's the money. Duke can do anything it wants and pay anything they want.

I don't want Cig to leave, but I believe these are things he is likely thinking about right now.

Some of you may be right, maybe Duke won't have him. But, unless they are insane, he is at the top of their wishlist.

it only takes 8500 fans to fill Cameron. All 8500 will be all in on Duke football. Football will always be the step child to hoops at Duke.

exodus of ACC schools? I must have missed that. who left? in fact, they added SMU, Stanford and Cal.

They had 17k for their season finally against Pitt They had 18k for Northwestern. throw out ND, Clemson and NC state as 60% of the fans were there for the visitors.

i could be wrong, but dont see duke as an attractive job for cig

(11-28-2023 02:14 PM)MarginalDuke Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 02:01 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Here's where I would differ with that statement....

1. Cig has a good shot at getting the top G5 slot at JMU, but it is certainly not a given. As well as we have done this year, I believe we are generally considered #3 behind Tulane and Toledo, both of whom I believe we are better than, but we are talking about rankings and who gets the CFP slot. If we had beaten App, I believe we would be #1. But we didn't, so we aren't.

2. With the exodus of the top ACC schools, that is going to leave Duke in a very good position to get a CFP AQ as conference champ or an at-large, probably a greater likelihood than JMU being one of the top two G5s every year. For that to happen, Cig is going to have to be able to recruit at Duke (THE MAN CAN RECRUIT!) and have the admin behind him, something I think he now questions at JMU. Bottom line: Cig's CFP chances almost certainly go up, not down, with a move to Durham.

3. Anyone who believes Duke's fans are disinterested have obviously never watched a Duke basketball game. They are still called the "Cameron Crazies" for a reason. Give Blue Devil fans a winning product, and they will be all-in, guaranteed.

4. And, of course, there's the money. Duke can do anything it wants and pay anything they want.

I don't want Cig to leave, but I believe these are things he is likely thinking about right now.

Some of you may be right, maybe Duke won't have him. But, unless they are insane, he is at the top of their wishlist.

He’s probably on their list but looking down at the G5 from top (P5), what makes Cig that much different than Jamey Chadwell, Willie Fritz, Jason Candle? Or different from the excitement of an up and coming assistant or a retread like Mullen.

Think of when Syracuse opened. Many said, “Oh my gosh don’t take Cig. One article mentioned his name, don’t touch him”. They looked at Dan Mullen, the Holy Cross guy, and now Brown the DBs coach/recruiter from UGA will most likely be their guy.

I agree Duke has a lot of advantages but they have to want our guy first. I really haven’t been that paranoid about Cig leaving this year. Rather it’s if he takes us to the CFP next year is when I worry and frankly a good problem to have. It’s possible Duke or elsewhere throws the kitchen sink to get him but he also has to win out in the coaching politics at the P5. Stoops is gonna coach at TAMU, oh wait now it’s Elko who we weren’t sure about being the front runner after he was and wasn’t it. Are you sure it’s Elko, Traylor was heavily mentioned? Oh it is actually Elko. Let’s do happy TAMU dance at the podium.

I wasn't either until his president completely bailed on him, humiliating him in public. Cig's disgust over that has been very visible.

Cig's results speak for themselves. A school would be lucky to get him. I do hope we are able to bridge the gap somewhat between what he makes currently and what the open market at the P5 level might pay.

That said, and it's just a theory- it took Coach an awful long time to get a head coaching gig at the Div I level, even after being under some major school head coaches. Is it possible he just doesn't interview well? Maybe it only clicks with him with certain individuals and surroundings to make it comfortable. There are an awful lot of G5 coaches that would go anywhere for P5 money. Definitely do not feel CC is in that camp.

(11-28-2023 02:01 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-28-2023 10:20 AM)PGJMU Wrote:  everbody thinks their school is different and their coach is different. well damn it, we are and cig is!

- Cig took the IUP Division III job so he could become a head coach when he wasnt getting any D1 or FCS looks
- his dad coached at IUP for 30 years and retired a legend
- he has said this is the best group of players he has ever coached - "just a joy to coach"
- i watched his press conference after the coastal game - he choked up twice talking about this season
- Riggert after the game - "this is a special place", - Cig - "yes it is and there is nothing that surprises me about what can be accomplished at JMU"
- he has said JMU is an ACC school
- Cig - "the grass isn't always greener"

Yes, everyone has their number, I am sure there at 4-5 jobs that he would have to take. But I believe the guy is motivated by more than money. He will get paid at JMU when he does what he thinks he can do. Imagine taking lil' ol JMU and making them a year in year out top 10 powerhouse? Crazy? Well who thought our 1st two FBS years would look like this? Cig would go down as one of the all time greats and would also become a wealthy man. An all time coaching great - not just a jmu great.

What is next for Cig to accomplish? Play in the CFP. Where is he best positioned to do that? At JMU - not taking over a middle of the road P5 where you are playing for 5th place with disinterested fans.

Look at next year.

- potentially preason top 25
- the most important position returning - QB - McCloud - Cig was effusive in his praise of McCloud's growth and has said numerous times McCloud is coming back
- most of the offensive and defensive line back
- what do we have 80% of the starters back next year?
- how about the portal pickups we are going to get?
- a very stong recruiting class that is only getting stronger

Next year may be his best shot at the CFP. why leave for a 3 year rebuild that may not ever even sniff the CFP. at that point he is late 60's and the CFP window maybe closed. If I am him, I make the run at the CFP next year. He gets to the CFP, he is an even hotter name. Even if he doesnt get there, he is going no worse than 9-3 with a bowl, and the same type jobs where he is getting mentioned will be in play next year.

Here's where I would differ with that statement....

1. Cig has a good shot at getting the top G5 slot at JMU, but it is certainly not a given. As well as we have done this year, I believe we are generally considered #3 behind Tulane and Toledo, both of whom I believe we are better than, but we are talking about rankings and who gets the CFP slot. If we had beaten App, I believe we would be the top-ranked G5. But we didn't, so we aren't.

2. With the exodus of the top ACC schools, that is going to leave Duke in a very good position to get a CFP AQ as conference champ or an at-large, probably a greater likelihood than JMU being one of the top two G5s every year). For that to happen, Cig is going to have to be able to recruit at Duke (THE MAN CAN RECRUIT!) and have the admin behind him, something I think he now questions at JMU. Bottom line: Cig's CFP chances almost certainly go up, not down, with a move to Durham.

3. Anyone who believes Duke's fans are "disinterested" has probably never watched a Duke basketball game. They are still called the "Cameron Crazies" for a reason. Give Blue Devil fans a winning product, and they will be all-in, guaranteed.

4. And, of course, there's the money. Duke can do anything it wants and pay anything they want.

I don't want Cig to leave, but I believe these are things he is likely thinking about right now.

Some of you may be right, maybe Duke won't have him. But, unless they are insane, he is at the top of their wishlist.

Did you just compare Duke football crowd to their basketball crowd? Seriously? Have you ever attended a game at Wallace Wade? I've been to at least 15-20 in my lifetime and am pretty familiar with their football crowd.

(11-28-2023 02:32 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Cig's results speak for themselves. A school would be lucky to get him. I do hope we are able to bridge the gap somewhat between what he makes currently and what the open market at the P5 level might pay.

That said, and it's just a theory- it took Coach an awful long time to get a head coaching gig at the Div I level, even after being under some major school head coaches. Is it possible he just doesn't interview well? Maybe it only clicks with him with certain individuals and surroundings to make it comfortable. There are an awful lot of G5 coaches that would go anywhere for P5 money. Definitely do not feel CC is in that camp.

Cignetti coached at IUP from 2011-2016. Allegedly Cignetti interviewed in 2014 with Withers, losing to him. At the end of 2015 Withers leaves for TXST. Houston gets hired at JMU for 2016. Cignetti takes the Elon job after another embarrassing season for Elon in 2016. He beats Houston in 2018 then gets the JMU job that December.

There are two possibilities. This is all coincidence. Or did he really want the JMU job from D2 IUP? You could tell he wanted to move after a couple of years in D2. Doesn’t get the JMU job, does he realize he needs to step his way up to Elon to get to our level of the FCS? If that’s the case, are we an end for him or just another stepping stone.

Cig spent 8 years at Pitt (2 & 6)
Cig spent 6 years at NC State and IUP
He spent 5 years at JMU so far
He spent 4 years at Bama and Temple
He spent 3 years at Rice and 2 at Elon

If he beats out Withers, IUP is only 3 years. He also doesn’t take 2 years at Elon. If he came to us in 2014 and saw immediate success is it more likely he goes P5. It sounds like his HC career rise was slower than he liked. He also joined those ranks at an older age. We don’t know intention. It could be that he’s really eyed the JMU gig with his father on his mind. As you said, maybe he doesn’t interview well and hasn’t climbed as fast as he would like to. If a good P5 comes calling, does he take it to make up for the lost years? We will never know until the story is written.

Latest updates:

Cignetti not likely for Indiana, per their beat writers. No shock there.

Cignetti still at the top of the "supposed" list for Duke. Starting to get concerned that we haven't seen the usual "nope" from coach. That job is nowhere near as bad as some of you have made it out to be.