May 30, 2026, 10:44 PM CUT

Curt Cignetti Earns Major Praise in Latest Kirby Smart Comparison

Ever since Curt Cignetti won the national championship with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2025, his stock value has increased exponentially. He has turned the program on its head from a 3-9 record in 2023 to a 27-2 powerhouse.

His stats include back‑to‑back double‑digit win seasons. And with a perfect 16–0 campaign in 2025, he is now drawing comparisons to Georgia's coach Kirby Smart. NFL analyst TJ Pittinger laid it bare on the Locked on Hoosiers podcast.

"I just don’t doubt Kirby Smart ever anymore. I think two years was enough for me to say… never doubt Cignetti again. Is he going to win every game he coaches for the rest of eternity? Probably not. But I’m not, I’m done doubting the guy," said Pittinger.

May 11, 2026, Washington, District Of Columbia, USA: Indiana University head coach Curt Cignetti gives United States President Donald J Trump a football jersey with Trump 47 written on it at an event honoring the 2026 National Football Champions Indiana University on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Monday, May 11, 2026 Washington USA - ZUMAs152 20260511_faa_s152_089 Copyright: xAaronxSchwartzx-xPoolxviaxCNPx

The comparison makes sense. Kirby Smart completely transformed Georgia into a modern powerhouse. Back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. He also ended Georgia's 41-year championship drought, creating the most dominant program in college football.

That turned Georgia into a winning program, making them a perennial CFP contender. Something that Cignetti is also looking at right now. However, NFL analyst Tom Fornelli does feel the Georgia coach has the edge over Cignetti.

NFL Analyst Favors Smart Over Cignetti

While Kirby Smart and Curt Cignetti are getting compared to each other, analyst Tom Fornelli feels Smart has the lead.

"For me, I look at Kirby Smart, and I see he has been so successful at Georgia. He kind of has become a victim of his own success, particularly in the rankings, because we tend to take for granted what he's done. It's not that he just won two national titles. It's been nearly forty years since Georgia had won a national title," said Fornelli.

Fornelli stresses the duration of success that Smart has enjoyed at Georgia. Cignetti had a great year in 2025 and did exceptionally well in 2024 again before collapsing against the heavier teams.

Time is of the essence here. Cignetti did pile up 46 wins in his 52 games, but the longevity wasn't there. In contrast, Smart has already spent 10 years with the Bulldogs. A total of 138 games with 117 wins, with a win rate percentage of .848.

Fornelli does not doubt Cignetti's potential one bit and sees him winning many more coaching honors. Just the fact that he feels it is still quite early to put him over Smart under the present circumstances.

Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason