John Harbaugh didn’t need an extensive in-person tour to identify his desired next stop as an NFL head coach.

And on Thursday morning, he accepted a five-year deal to join the New York Giants, multiple people familiar with the agreement told USA TODAY Sports. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal had not yet been finalized.

The former Baltimore Ravens coach, who was fired on Jan. 6 after an 18-year run with the organization, began working late Wednesday night to finalize a deal with the Giants, Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record − part of the USA TODAY Network − reported. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the news.

The move comes on the heels of Harbaugh’s in-person meeting with Giants brass on Wednesday, his first such connection with any team this offseason. Harbaugh had decided to take the weekend before narrowing down his choices and deciding which teams he had wanted to interview with.

Now, barring a setback with establishing the exact parameters of the agreement, he’ll have his landing spot settled.

Here’s the latest on what we know about the Giants and Harbaugh:

Report: John Harbaugh’s Giants contract nears $100 million

Harbaugh’s five-year deal with the Giants is expected to come with ‘a total value that nears $100 [million]’, according to Jordan Schultz.

Such a deal would likely give Harbaugh a salary increase. Sportico reports the veteran coach was making $17 million per year at the end of his time with the Ravens, the third-highest average annual salary among NFL coaches.

Report: John Harbaugh accepts Giants job

It looks like the first step is complete. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Harbaugh has accepted the Giants’ offer to become their next head coach. Rapoport says the two sides are in the process of finalizing terms of a five-year deal to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches.

Report: Todd Monken ‘early leader’ to be Giants OC

Monken spent the last three seasons as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Ravens. It looks like he might be following Harbaugh to the Giants.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports Monken is ‘among the leading candidates’ to be the Giants’ next offensive coordinator. Garafolo also noted there were ‘a few options’ on the table for the 59-year-old coach and that the Giants would still conduct a search to fill the position.

Monken helped Lamar Jackson turn in MVP-caliber campaigns in 2023 and 2024, seasons during which the Ravens posted top-six rankings in offensive EPA per play, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Monken also has offensive coordinator experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18) and Cleveland Browns (2019).

Giants post single emoji on X amid John Harbaugh rumors

The Giants have yet to officially provide an update about whether they are planning to hire Harbaugh. However, the team posted a single, smirking emoji to social media the morning of Jan. 15, which many are viewing as a nod to the Harbaugh rumors.

Have the Giants officially hired John Harbaugh?

The two sides were still hammering out financial figures Wednesday night, according to Schefter. Though that ostensibly leaves wiggle room for an agreement to fall through, Schefter reported a deal was expected to be reached.

If one is established, the Giants would become the first of nine NFL teams this offseason to fill a head-coaching vacancy.

Which other NFL teams were pursuing John Harbaugh?

The Tennessee Titans had been scheduled to meet with Harbaugh on Thursday, according to multiple reports. With $96.7 million in projected cap space, according to Over the Cap, and 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward in tow, Tennessee had been seen by some as a dark-horse candidate to land Harbaugh.

The Atlanta Falcons had also emerged as potential competition for New York to land Harbaugh. The Falcons said on Monday that they had conducted an interview with Harbaugh, though multiple reports later revealed that it was not an in-person meeting.

Harbaugh also had preliminary phone calls with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN and NFL Network.

Which other coaches did the Giants interview?

Unlike other teams, the Giants have not officially confirmed head-coach interviews after their completion this cycle.

However, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record – part of the USA TODAY Network – the team held in-person meetings with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach and ex-Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce and Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka.

The Giants also held virtual interviews with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, according to Stapleton.

New York has already satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for any head-coaching vacancy, thereby clearing the franchise to make a hire.

How does John Harbaugh fit with the Giants?

Harbaugh gives the Giants something they haven’t had in some time: a proven commodity at the top.

Since Tom Coughlin stepped down after the 2015 season, three of the last four full-time hires by the organization have been first-time head coaches. Only Pat Shurmur, who previously oversaw the Cleveland Browns prior to his two-year stint in the top job in New York, had previous experience at that level.

Harbaugh also gives New York a chance at establishing some stability. At 63, he’s second only to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid in age among active coaches. But he was the second-longest-tenured coach prior to his ouster, and none of the three coaches prior to Brian Daboll − who was fired in November midway through his fourth season − lasted more than two years with the organization.

Harbaugh, who only had three losing seasons in 18 years with the Ravens, will look to transform the fortunes of a franchise that is tied with the New York Jets for the fewest wins of any team since 2017 with 44.

Among his most important tasks will be to forge a relationship with quarterback Jaxson Dart, who showed promise as a rookie but also missed two games with a concussion.

General manager Joe Schoen singled out Dart’s trajectory as a key factor in the hire.

‘Player development is very important, having a plan for player development,’ Schoen said in a Jan. 5 news conference. ‘We have a young quarterback. It’s going to be important that there’s a plan in terms of Jaxson’s development, holding people accountable, and communication. There’s a lot that goes into the head coach that can fall under that leadership element, but those are some of the characteristics that we’re going to be looking for in the next head coach.’

Who will the Giants offensive coordinator be?

The Giants have not officially announced who their offensive coordinator will be under Harbaugh. However, Todd Monken considered the ‘early leader’ for the role, per multiple reports.

Monken spent the last three seasons as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Ravens. The 59-year-old helped Lamar Jackson win the 2023 NFL MVP as part of his attacking, vertical passing offense while the team ranked No. 1 in offensive EPA per play under his watch during the 2024 NFL season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

The Ravens had more of an up-and-down offensive campaign in 2025 as Jackson battled injuries, but Monken remained a coveted commodity after the Ravens fired Harbaugh and his staff. He interviewed for the Browns’ head coaching job and has also received coordinator interest from the Buccaneers.

Highest-paid NFL coaches

Below is a full look at the 10 highest-paid NFL coaches from the 2025 campaign, according to Sportico:

1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: $20 million
2. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: $18 million
3. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: $17 million
T-4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: $16 million
T-4. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: $16 million
T-6. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: $15 million
T-6. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles: $15 million
T-8. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: $14 million
T-8. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots: $14 million
T-10. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears: $13 million
T-10. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings: $13 million

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber will be completely honest. He thought the new coach at his alma mater was out of his mind.

Here was an unknown dude who was an assistant for 28 years, got hired to be Indiana University’s head football coach at the age of 62, inherited a program that lost more games than any school in NCAA history and actually started mocking rival schools before he puts a whistle in his mouth.

Curt Cignetti had the gall to go to Assembly Hall where the Indiana basketball team was playing, and after being introduced to the crowd, grabs the mic, and yells: ‘Purdue sucks! And so does Michigan and Ohio State!’’

Whoa, you kidding?

Pardon the laughter that reverberated throughout the Big Ten.

Indiana was a football team that produced three winning seasons in three decades, spanning seven coaches.

A team that last won the Big Ten in 1967.

And now, all of a sudden, you’re taunting two of the greatest collegiate football programs in the country in Ohio State and Michigan?

“I saw that clip of him on the basketball court,’ Schwarber tells USA TODAY Sports, “and I’m saying, “OK, pump the brakes here buddy! Pump the breaks! We didn’t fare well in the Big Ten when I was I there, and historically haven’t played well. Now you’re going to call out Purdue and Michigan and Ohio State?’

Cignetti’s braggadocio became instant credibility when Indiana went 11-2 his first season in 2024. He took it to another level this year and has delivered the greatest collegiate turnaround in history. IU is 15-0 after pummeling Alabama (38-3) and Oregon (56-22) in the Hoosiers’ first two playoff games, and now are playing Monday for their first national championship.

“When you’re an athlete, that’s the mindset you have to have,’ says Schwarber, the finest baseball player to come out of IU, going onto become a three-time All-Star slugger, two-time home run champion and World Series champ. “I’ve never walked onto the baseball field and not think I’m going to win, no matter who you’re facing. If you do that, what’s the point?

“That’s the mindset (Cignetti) had, and he had the cojones to say it out loud. He got everyone fired up right away, got everyone in he right frame of mind, and set his sights at the highest level.’’

Schwarber, an All-America catcher who was elected to Indiana University’s Hall of Fame this past year, is now like every other IU alumnus these days.

Absolutely stoked.

Never in his life did he believe he’d ever see Indiana become a football power and playing for the national championship Monday against the University of Miami.

Schwarber, 32, who has had the most eventful month of his life – with the birth of a daughter, a new five-year, $150 million contract with the Phillies, and a wedding for his sister – has to make a quick detour before the game. He’s headed to Chicago on Thursday to attend a dinner party to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship with his old teammates and coaches.

“I’m really looking forward to it,’ Schwarber says. “You try to keep in touch, but there are a few guys I haven’t seen in ages. It’s going to be great to see everyone again, and I know most of the guys are coming.’

He will return home to Middletown, Ohio, for about 72 hours and then he’s flying out Monday with buddies from home and college teammates to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

It’s been hectic, and spring training starts in less than a month, with the World Baseball Classic mixed into his schedule, but there’s no way in the world Schwarber is going to miss a chance to witness Indiana history.

“This has been one heck of a ride,’’ Schwarber said. “If you had told me a couple of years ago we’d find ourselves in a national championship game, I would have told you that you’re crazy. But this has been so fun to watch. It’s so awesome.

“Really, it’s incredible.’’

Schwarber, who attended IU in 2012-2014, and like most students went to the stadium for tailgate parties before the football game, and headed back to the parking lot by halftime. The Hoosiers went 4-8, 5-7 and 4-8 in Schwarber’s three years at IU.

Schwarber, in fact, hadn’t been back to see a football game in person until October, 2024, when he was a guest picker on ESPN’s College Gameday. He watched them knock off the Washington Huskies, 31-17, to remain undefeated with an 8-0 record. He instantly became a believer.

“Just seeing them in person and watching it unfold,’’ Schwarber said, “you could tell there was something different going on. Their only two losses year were on the road to Notre Dame and Ohio State, who played for the national championship.

“I really looked forward to this year, but I didn’t want it to be a one-year wonder. I wanted to see them carrying this through.’’

So he kept watching in awe all season, seeing them embarrass Illinois, 63-10, knock off Oregon on the road, go to Happy Valley and pull off a zany comeback to beat Penn State, and then the grandaddy victory of the regular season, beating Ohio State for the Big Ten title.

“We all grew up as kids watching Ohio State,’ Schwarber says, “but I’ve got to tell you, all of the Ohio was taken out of me that day. I was home at a local bar with a couple of my friends. We were loud and obnoxious watching it.’’

Indiana took its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1967, and it was as if the entire state came along with them. The stadium was filled with IU fans, many wiping away tears before the game at the mere idea the Hoosiers were there. They crushed Alabama, and during the game, the scoreboard showed pictures of famous IU grads, and the crowd wildly cheered when Schwarber was shown on the screen.

The ovation was so thunderous that when IU returned home, athletic department officials called Schwarber and asked if he would be an honorary captain for the Peach Bowl against Oregon in Atlanta. The words barely got out of their mouth before Schwarber could say yes.

“I had goosebumps just walking into the stadium,’ Schwarber says. “It had to be 90% Indiana fans. The only Oregon fans I saw were sitting in a section next to the band. You just a few spots of yellow otherwise in the stands. It was amazing.’

And, now, the big one.

Schwarber plans to meet up with former Cubs teammate Anthony Rizzo at the game. He has already traded messages with Phillies first base coach Paco Figueroa, who was born and raised in Miami and went to the University of Miami. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who also has played at Miami, has been trash talking back-and-forth with Schwarber.

Oh, baby, it’s on.

“It’s going to be a tough one,’ Schwarber says. “Another top defense. They’re fast. They’re physical. Indiana just has to make sure they don’t let that noise seep in and get them. Don’t listen to the hype. Stay focused. They can do this.’

Schwarber, priding himself as a blue-collar dude, will be sitting in the stands. He wants no suite. No special privileges. He just wants to sit with the rest of the IU folks and hopefully witness history.

“I’ve been living and dying with these guys, and hopefully, this is just a run of many [titles],’ Schwarber says. “But you know, there’s nothing like that first championship.

“I’m going to take it all in and enjoy every second of it.

“So I’ll be wearing my Indiana gear, yelling and screaming, and be that super-fan.’

And if the Hoosiers win, don’t be surprised if he’s still wearing his Indiana jersey when he shows up to Clearwater, Florida, next month for spring training.

“Hey, I may never take it off,’ he says. “This is going to be something.’’

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

The Houston Astros cheating scandal is now eight years old, and while bitterness and anger still lingers in certain cities and players from that 2017 team still are booed, most resentment stems from the fact there was no real discipline or serious repercussions.

Former Astros players from Alex Bregman to George Springer became rich and famous after hitting the free agent market.

Former Astros manager AJ Hinch is lauded as a savant leading the Detroit Tigers through a turnaround. Former Houston bench coach Alex Cora is worshipped in Boston.

The Astros remain a power, dominating the AL West since 2017 with seven division titles, four American League pennants and two World Series titles.

Really, only one person has ever paid the price.

Carlos Beltrán.

Beltrán, whose career was stellar and was revered off the field, had his baseball life turned upside down.

He was so highly regarded that he was hired to manage the New York Mets just two years after his playing career, only to be fired before managing a single game in the aftermath of the cheating investigation.

He was one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, a recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award for his philanthropic endeavors, but was snubbed three consecutive times in the annual Hall of Fame elections.

Now, Beltrán’s punishment finally is on the threshold of ending.

Beltrán is expected to finally be elected into the hallowed grounds of the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, Jan. 20 when the election results are announced.

Beltrán is appearing on 90% of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballots according to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame ballot tracker. It looks like he’s going to coast and join second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected in December via the contemporary era committee, along with possibly center fielder Andruw Jones.

It was absurd that he was singled out among all of his teammates in the investigation. He wasn’t the GM. He wasn’t the manager. Not a coach.

He was simply a veteran player who was part of the development of the scheme. The Astros used a center-field camera to relay catcher’s signs to a monitor behind the dugout, which alerted the hitter by banging on a trash can.

The players were given the option of accepting the signs, or disregarding them. If players didn’t want to participate, that was fine too. All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve never took part, his teammates insist, but no one wants to hear it. He still is taunted and incessantly booed on the road.

It’s ridiculous to think that the Astros were the only team stealing signs. The Yankees and Red Sox were caught relaying signals with their Apple watches and dugout phones, too, and only had their wrists slapped. Other teams had hidden cameras and used similar techniques to the Astros.

The Astros affair just happened to be the only team who had a whistle-blower: pitcher Mike Fiers.

“A lot of people always ask me why you didn’t stop it,” Beltrán told the YES network when he was hired in 2022 as an analyst. “And my answer is, I didn’t stop it the same way no one stopped it. This is working for us. Why you going to stop something that is working for you?

“So, if the organization would’ve said something to us, we would have stopped it for sure.”

It was cruel that Beltrán lost his managerial job. He was out of the game – other than broadcasting – until 2023 when the Mets hired him as a special assistant in the front office. They just didn’t want him on the field, with former Mets manager Buck Showalter even forbidden to interview him for a coaching job.

“We grow from moments that are tough,’ Beltrán said when he was hired as a front office assistant. “In life, a lot of times when you’re going through a big storm, you think that storm will never pass.

“But it will pass. Time heals.’

And those wounds should heal Tuesday, Jan. 20, the moment he hears his name announced by Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.

And no, Beltrán’s Hall of Fame election should not be tainted in the least.

Did he illegally steal signs? Yep.

But how much did he reap the benefits? He had the worst season of his 20-year career, hitting .231 with 14 homers, 51 RBIs and a .666 OPS.

So please, enough talk about Beltrán’s election tarnishing the purity of the Hall of Fame.

You don’t think the Hall of Fame is filled with pitchers who used spitballs, scuffed baseballs with sandpaper and tacks, and used Vaseline? You may want to Google Gaylord Perry.

You don’t think the Hall of Fame is filled with hitters who stole signs with the help of their teammates or team employees?

You don’t think there are players in the Hall of Fame who used performance-enhancing drugs? And guess who was never, ever, linked to PEDs at any time in his career? That would be Beltrán.

Carlos Beltrán Hall of Fame stats

Beltrán was one of the finest all-around players in MLB history. He’s the only switch-hitter to produce more than 2,500 hits (2,725), hit more than 400 homers (435), and steal 300 bases (312). Beltrán joins Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Andre Dawson, along with Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, as the only players with 2,500 hits, 400 homers and 300 stolen bases. He was also a brilliant base-stealer, successful in 86.4% of his attempts –the best among all players with at least 200 career steals since 1920.

The nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner led five different teams to the playoffs. His postseason slash line of.307/.412/.609 is eclipsed only by Babe Ruth, and his 1.021 OPS that ranks eighth among players with at least 100 postseason plate appearances.

He was a fabulous all-around player on the field, a role model in the clubhouse, and still has a huge impact off the field. Beltrán helped fund $10 million for the Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico, a bilingual high school that blends baseball training with academics to prepare students for college or professional careers.

“God gave me an opportunity to make a good living in baseball,’ Beltrán said several years ago when visiting the Hall of Fame with his family. But when I think about legacy, I don’t think about numbers. I think about the impact on the community and on society.

“For me, that’s the legacy.”

Sure, Beltran regrets being an integral part of the Astros’ illegal sign-stealing scheme. He wishes it never happened. He knew teams were illegally stealing signs, and wanted to keep up with the other technology-savvy teams.

He and his teammates took it too far, and he deeply regrets being part of it. He paid the price, more than anyone else in the organization.

Now, it’s his time to be rewarded.

Beltran is a Hall of Famer and will have a plaque in Cooperstown where everyone can recognize and remember him for his greatness.

If you want to remember the cheating scandal of 2017 too, go ahead – but this is his day to forever cherish.

There’s no need to spoil it.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

Jonathan Kuminga became eligible to be traded on Thursday, Jan. 15, and he apparently didn’t wait long to tell the Golden State Warriors he wants them to make a deal ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline.

The No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft officially demanded a trade hours after the Warriors were allowed to execute one, according to an ESPN report, as both Kuminga and the team try to end what’s become a messy relationship.

Kuminga, 23, has appeared in just one of Golden State’s past 17 games after beginning the 2025-26 season in the starting lineup, and he hasn’t played in 13-consecutive games after falling out of coach Steve Kerr’s regular rotation. The Warriors, meanwhile, haven’t looked like NBA title contenders despite the presence of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference standings with a 22-19 record entering Thursday’s game against the New York Knicks.

Kuminga and Golden State’s front office were at an impasse this offseason when he was a restricted free agent, but they eventually agreed on a two-year, $46.8-million contract that included a team option for next season. It was always intended to serve as a short-term resolution, and the agreement wasn’t eligible to be traded until Jan. 15 due to NBA rules.

Now, with that date here, a separation seems inevitable before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Jonathan Kuminga trade landing spots

The market for Kuminga could be complicated, with some teams intrigued by his flashes of offensive potential with the Warriors, but more not willing to invest heavily in a player whose long-term role remains uncertain in the midst of his fifth season in the NBA.

Here are a few of the rumored options for Kuminga trades involving the Warriors:

Sacramento Kings

Kuminga might not move far because the Kings were the only team with signficant interest in trading for Kuminga as of last week, according to an NBC Sports Bay Area report. Most of Sacramento’s veterans appear available ahead of the deadline, with DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk the most likely to be part of a Kuminga deal.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers need a boost in athleticism on the wing, particularly on the defensive end, if they’re going to make a playoff run with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James playing together. Kuminga doesn’t fit that mold perfectly, but perhaps a deal involving Rui Hachimura would be meaningful enough for both sides to shake up their potential postseason rotations.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are among the teams to have reportedly expressed interest in Kuminga even though the recent injury to Anthony Davis likely makes him an option the Warriors wouldn’t want to pursue. Center Daniel Gafford, however, would fill a need in Golden State, and a deal would help Dallas reshuffle its roster around Cooper Flagg.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets could do for Kuminga what they’ve done for Michael Porter Jr. this season by acquiring Kuminga as part of a deal involving Porter. The Warriors would add another role player with championship experience having a career year in Brooklyn, while the Nets could then showcase Kuminga as an expiring contract for the next year or so (and perhaps add a Golden State draft pick in the exchange).

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks’ potential desperation to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo makes them a potential Warriors trade partner for Kuminga, if only they can’t swing a deal for anyone else. Forward Bobby Portis could help address Golden State’s issues inside, but Kuminga probably doesn’t move the needle enough to make the Bucks a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Jonathan Kuminga salary, contract

Kuminga is in the first season of a two-year, $46.8-million contract he signed in October 2025 before the start of the 2025-26 season. He is earning a salary of $22.5 million for this season and the deal includes a team option with a salary of $24.3 million for the 2026-27 season.

Jonathan Kuminga stats

Kuminga is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 18 games this season. He’s shooting a career-worst 43.1% from the floor.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has led the team to a 15-0 record and a spot in the 2026 College Football Playoff championship.
Cignetti’s success is partly attributed to his detailed talent evaluation, focusing on specifics like a player’s flexibility and avoiding ‘fatal flaws.’
His exacting standards and focus on perfection have influenced his players, including Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

People keep asking what’s happening at Indiana football — how the Hoosiers have gone from the all-time losingest program in Division I to their current 15-0 record, No. 1 ranking and spot in 2026 College Football Playoff championship game Monday night against Miami. People ask: How? What? Why?

What they don’t ask: Who?

Another thing they don’t ask: When?

Curt Cignetti, that’s who. And Nov. 30, 2023 — the day he became the IU football coach — is when.

But the other questions remain. Google is no help, and admit it: You tried Google. So did hundreds or thousands — maybe hundreds of thousands — of other folks. See for yourself. Plug “Curt Cignetti” into Google, and see what pops up. Google knows what it is asked, over and over and over, so it offers the question before you can type it. Because, as Google will tell you:

People also ask:

What makes Curt Cignetti so good?

Google can’t tell you that. Nobody can, and let’s be honest: If the answer were obvious, everyone else would do it. Well, someone else would do it. But nobody else is. Nobody else can. Nobody has ever done what Cignetti has done, taking the lowliest football program in college football history and — in just two years — leading it to the 2026 CFP title game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Florida.

Nobody else has come close.

Study Cignetti for the past two years, watch him and read as much about him as you can, and you’ll see some things. Talk to folks who know him best, and you’ll hear some things. Put it all together, and you’ll get — well, you won’t get the answer to the question.

What makes Curt Cignetti so good?

But you’ll get a hint.

Order commemorative book about IU’s epic season

Curt Cignetti’s recruiting philosophy

It has something to do with ankles, hips and knees. With football being a stop-and-start game. With duck feet, and other fatal flaws.

Those are some of Cignetti’s phrases when it comes to his specialty … well, one of his specialties: talent evaluation. He studies recruits, whether in high school or the transfer portal, the way an IRS auditor studies your tax return. He’s not just looking for what’s right. He’s looking for what’s wrong.

Coaches can get seduced by a recruit’s potential — and Cignetti will tell you he’s been there, done that — but at age 64 he’s putting to work all he has learned in a lifetime of football: 42 years in coaching and the 22 years before that, being raised to play quarterback at West Virginia by his legendary coaching father, Frank Cignetti Sr.

For example: Curt Cignetti will be talking to an IU staff member about a recruit, and he’ll shut down any further consideration without a word. He’ll just put his hands into a “V” shape.

‘Duck feet,’ Pat Kuntz, Indiana’s defensive tackles coach and a 2005 Roncalli grad, told ESPN. ‘He picks up on those things. You wouldn’t see it at first, and then he looks at you and gives you the signal, and then you recheck it.’

Cignetti isn’t perfect in recruiting — show me someone who is — but the numbers suggest he’s better at it than anyone in college football. Big sentence? Nah. Here comes the big sentence:

Recruiting scoreboards show the rosters of Alabama and Oregon beating IU’s roster in four- and five-star recruits by a combined margin of 111-7 … but the scoreboards at the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl showed Indiana beating Alabama and Oregon by a combined 96-25.

Raises the question: What does Cignetti look at, when he looks at a recruit? Has to be more than duck feet.

Cignetti broached the topic generally, during a media availability before Indiana smacked Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, discussing his recruiting philosophy in the broadest teams.

“When I first got the job as a recruiting coordinator and a coach for Johnny Majors, my second time around at Pitt (in 1993), we probably took too many chances on potential,” Cignetti said, then moved onto his time as recruiting coordinator for Nick Saban from 2007-10. “And then at Alabama — I think that part of it, with coach Saban — the ankle, knee, hip flexibility, position-specific criteria, toughness at all positions, what were the fatal flaws: I think that helped me a lot, too. And then you just get better at it, the more you evaluate.”

The natural follow-up was something along the lines of: What did you just say about ankles, knees and hips?

“It’s a start-stop game,” he said. “You’ve got to have those for change of direction, but you also need those to create explosive power. So, it’s a game of speed, quickness and explosive power. And you need those things to generate that.”

Here’s how that philosophy looks in real time: It’s the Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers face 3rd-and-3 at the Oregon 14, and Cignetti is sending in different personnel, including … wait, who? Is that cornerback D’Angelo Ponds running into the offensive huddle?

It is. Now Ponds is split wide right, at receiver. Before the snap he’s running in motion toward 2025 Heisman Trophy-winning IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza, then stopping like that and heading back where he came from. Mendoza throws it to the Porsche, to Ponds, whose acceleration is breathtaking. Ponds gains six yards to convert the first down, and IU scores three plays later. What Ponds had started on the first offensive play of the game — intercepting Oregon’s Dante Moore and returning it 25 yards for a 7-0 lead — is now 35-7.

“Our fastest stop-start guy,” Cignetti says of Ponds, a middling three-star prospect out of Hollywood, Florida, who has become an All-American for Cignetti.

Fernando Mendoza, like his coach, never satisfied

Mendoza is enjoying the Peach Bowl win, that 56-22 rout of Oregon. This is the postgame news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Mendoza is thanking IU fans for filling 95% of the nearly 80,000-capacity NFL stadium, turning this trip to Atlanta into an IU home game.

“Shout out to Hoosier Nation for being here,” Mendoza says, then remembers how the crowd hadn’t been so helpful when IU visited Oregon three months ago. “We played in Autzen Stadium, Week 5. I believe we had five or six pre-snap penalties.”

Cignetti, listening blandly, makes a face.

“Seven,” he says.

Mendoza laughs.

“Seven,” Mendoza says, standing corrected.

Even here, sitting at 15-0, Cignetti is perturbed by what happened during that 30-20 win Oct. 11. And it’s not an act. His insistence on excellence — his pursuit of perfection — has rubbed off on his players, as Mendoza will demonstrate minutes later when the topic is his near-perfect game in the Peach Bowl: 17 for 20 for 177 yards, with more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (three).

“Although the scoreboard doesn’t show it, there’s still a lot I have to improve on,” Mendoza said, “like footwork.”

IU has just beaten Oregon 56-22 in a CFP semifinal — the score was 42-7 before the Hoosiers pulled off the gas — and he’s critiquing his footwork?

“There was a protection check I missed,” Mendoza adds helpfully, “and there’s a ball that I want to have back.”

What makes Curt Cignetti so good?

This is one of Cignetti’s secret sauces, his exacting standards, and it hints at another: his focus, his attention to detail. In a profession of football obsessives, Cignetti is more obsessive than most. He understands the job, knows he needs to leave the office on occasion to drum up support for the program — especially in the NIL era, which requires more money than ever to fund a winner — and knows he’s in a good spot to handle that balance.

“I’m a football guy,” Cignetti says. “And I’m thankful that my athletic director, Scott Dolson, structures it so I can focus on football and not all the other stuff.”

Past IU football coaches attended — had to attend, to promote the program — every outing they could, from donor suppers to Kiwanis Club meetings. Cig pulls his weight, but Dolson understands what’s best for the coach and team will ultimately be what’s best for everyone else.

“He’ll do it — he’s great with donors, appreciates them — but I’m sensitive to protecting Cig in that way,” Dolson says. “You want him to be in demand, and he’s willing to do that, but we’re strategic with it. Everybody understands it’s best for the program if we’re not taking too much of his time away from the kids, recruiting, coaching.”

Now that we have Dolson on the phone, we have to ask him the question everyone wants to know: What makes Curt Cignetti so good? Before he can answer, we’re wondering something else. If folks are wearing out Google with that question, what’s it like to be the guy who hired Cignetti? How many times, I’m asking Dolson, do you get asked the question?

He starts laughing.

“I get asked a lot: ‘What is it about him?’” Dolson says. “It’s a super-interesting question. Because it’s not one thing. It’s multiple things.”

Like?

“Well,” Dolson says, “I think he sees things differently and processes things differently. He’s such a film person. A lot of coaches are absolutely obsessed with film, right, but he can process things so quickly and it’s amazing to me what he sees. I’ve been there and he shows me, and it blows me away. It’s the little things he notices.”

And?

“You could add a bunch of other things on top of that,” Dolson says, “including some things that probably only Cig knows. I know he works hard, unbelievably hard, and lots of coaches have that. He knows what’s most important to work hard on next — his way of prioritizing what’s the most important thing to do today. And he carries it out with his staff. Nothing is wasted with his time or resources.”

Does that answer the question for you? Nope, me neither. It’s one thing to recognize genius. Not so easy to understand it.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads , or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar , or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar . Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.

In the world of the NFL draft, it’s much more difficult to take the temperature than to foresee a storm.

By Wednesday, however, the downpour on this year’s quarterback class was in full effect when Dante Moore announced he would return to Oregon for the 2026 season. Moore had been widely projected as the No. 2 signal-caller behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and a leading candidate to be taken second overall by the New York Jets.

In what was already shaping up to be a down year for passers, the 6-foot-3, 206-pound sophomore figured to be the kind of prospect teams would eagerly sign up to bring along. Moore threw 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while leading the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals, with substantial progress made in his poise and precision after he completed just 53.5% of his passes as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023 before transferring.

Now, three months out from the draft’s first pick being made in Pittsburgh, the quarterback landscape is looking awfully barren for a swath of teams.

Forgive me for claiming a win here, but seeing this potentially calamitous QB class coming might be one of the few predictions about the upcoming draft I get right. (Don’t worry about where I said the likes of Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier might end up in my way-too-early mock draft in April.)

Amid a shaky start at the position almost across the board in September, I highlighted five quarterbacks who could still save the ’26 draft. Moore was the leading candidate among them. Then, amid persistent speculation that Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson could eschew going pro for another year in college, I tried to sketch out what a worst-case scenario QB class would look like in my early December mock draft.

Simpson ended up declaring, providing teams with at least one additional option behind center who could end up in the first-round mix. But Moore’s decision figures to send ripples throughout college football and the NFL for the next year-plus.

Here’s our breakdown of where things stand for NFL teams, QB prospects and the next two draft classes in the wake of Moore’s move:

What’s the 2026 NFL draft class QB outlook after Dante Moore’s return to Oregon?

It’s bad. Really bad.

To be fair, we’ve seen worse in recent history. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, is an accomplished and highly promising prospect as a passer, even if his physical tools and shortage of creativity leave him less enticing than the likes of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. His presence alone should prevent this year’s draft from going down in history next to the 2013 and 2022 editions, when EJ Manuel (No. 16) and Kenny Pickett (No. 20) had to wait until the middle of the first round before becoming the lone quarterback chosen in the top 32 picks.

But Mendoza shapes up as a virtual lock to go to the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the No. 1 overall pick and have little incentive to look elsewhere for a passer given the dearth of options. For everyone else searching for a young passer capable of transforming a franchise’s fortunes … happy hunting.

Moore’s decision no doubt thrusts the spotlight on Simpson, who surged in the early portion of his first year as a starter before floundering down the stretch. In the first two months of the season, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound signal-caller impressed with his quick processing and ability to navigate the pocket.

Yet Simpson’s inexperience after just 15 starts figures to loom large in a league where teams historically have been wary of using top picks on throwers with a limited body of work. And those who have broken through typically have a trump card in the form of dazzling arm strength, a la Dwayne Haskins, or other-worldly athleticism, like that of Anthony Richardson. Simpson doesn’t fit that bill with his rather pedestrian physical traits, so cracking the top half of the first round will be an exceedingly difficult sell.

Maybe, however, he fits in as this year’s Jaxson Dart – a mid-to-late Day 1 option for a team that would, at least initially, not immediately anoint him as a franchise savior. It’s possible Simpson may get pushed up higher by the supply-demand imbalance behind center. But in a talent pool with few surefire first-rounders, the Crimson Tide standout doesn’t shape up as one of them.

What really makes the 2026 class even bleaker than last year’s group, however, is the outlook beyond Mendoza and Simpson. There’s no equivalent of Tyler Shough – the seventh-year senior at Louisville who built a buzz in the pre-draft process before landing with the New Orleans Saints – in the mix as an intriguing Day 2 selection. And there’s no Jalen Milroe developmental prospect, either.

For teams who miss out on Mendoza and don’t push for Simpson, the pickings look slim. Might the No. 3 option be Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss? The Division II transfer is still trying to fight his way back to the college ranks for another year of eligibility. If his battle with the NCAA ends up for naught, however, he could end up as the captivating second-tier passer that currently can’t be found elsewhere.

Beyond him, the next best choice might be Nussmeier, who might be flying under the radar a bit following a season-long letdown for LSU that was hardly all his fault. Allar, meanwhile, has seen his star fade considerably after a massively disappointing campaign that culminated with a season-ending ankle injury. But his upside still could make him a fun project. And Miami’s Carson Beck has helped boost his case with the Hurricanes’ CFP title game run, with a mid-round spot now perhaps within reach.

For any team in search of an immediate difference-maker, however, the message might be to wait until 2027. Good news on that front, though.

2027 NFL draft class could be an all-timer

When it comes to evaluating draft prospects, things always look rosier a full year out, with players yet to have all the finer points of their game picked apart.

But it’s fair to say that the 2027 NFL draft class is shaping up to be one of the most exciting collections of talent – particularly at QB – in quite some time.

Any discussion that centers on hype, of course, has to begin with Arch Manning. The Texas quarterback, who was seen by many to be the early favorite for the No. 1 pick in 2026 despite only having made two starts entering this season, sparked some chortles and derision with his rough early performances. By the end of the year, however, he managed to settle in and serve up reminders of why he was so highly thought of in the first place.

With plenty of time to sort things out, Moore might take a backseat to Manning for the early front-runner for No. 1 in 2027.

There should be plenty of competition for the duo, however. Brendan Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech rather than trying his luck in this year’s draft, and his burly build (6-foot-3, 235 pounds), outstanding arm strength and alluring mobility are sure to make him one of the most closely monitored passers next fall. His package of athletic tools might only be rivaled by South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, who at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds presents a singular threat for vexing defenses with his downfield passing and running ability. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin is hardly the physical marvel of the aforementioned quarterbacks, but the Heisman Trophy finalist will earn plenty of fans with his precision and overall savvy operating from the pocket.

Beyond the top options, there are a host of wild cards who could rise and give next year’s group the depth that the forthcoming one lacks. Several other signal-callers joined Sorsby in heading to other schools, with LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Indiana’s Josh Hoover ranking among the best situated to surge at their new spots. Many more – including Duke’s Darian Mensah, USC’s Jayden Maiava, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava – stayed situated in hopes of breaking out in more familiar confines.

In light of the drastically sunnier setup next year, would teams actually put a pin in any quarterback plans merely in hopes of a payoff down the road? Treading water typically hasn’t served teams well in recent years. And it’s helped contribute to the downfall of several coaches, with nine teams now having vacancies in what many figured would be a slower cycle. But, as Shedeur Sanders’ slide in last year’s draft reinforced, organizations won’t force the issue on a quarterback investment if they don’t see a viable solution. And with so many new coaches coming aboard in one offseason, several front offices might be better positioned to exercise some discretion at the position rather than scrambling for an answer.

It’s a fascinating dynamic Moore has put himself in the middle of – and he should remain there for the next 15 months.

It appeared Clayton Kershaw’s last competitive pitch in his storied career was an 88-mph slider that Nathan Lukes squibbed to second base for the final out of the 12th inning of World Series Game 3, his lone contribution but a crucial moment in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ back-to-back championships.

Not exactly. Kershaw, USA Baseball announced Jan. 16, will pitch for the stars and stripes in March’s World Baseball Classic, extending his career perhaps another appearance or two.

Kershaw, who turns 38 in March, announced in September that the 2025 season would be his 18th and last campaign with the Dodgers. His Hall of Fame resume is more than filled out: Three Cy Young Awards and one MVP, a 2.53 ERA that’s the lowest among starting pitchers in history, and 3,052 strikeouts, a milestone he passed in his final trip around the majors one year ago.

He was the last man in the bullpen for the Dodgers in their World Series run, recording that crucial out against Lukes in the Dodgers’ eventual 18-inning victory in Game 3. He was warming up to come in to the decisive Game 7 when starter-turned-reliever Yoshinobu Yamamoto induced a Series-clinching double-play ground ball, and Kershaw was perhaps the last Dodger to find out they’d won it all.

Yet he’ll get one more turn in the spotlight, on a WBC squad that features reigning Cy Young Award winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. To be sure, Kershaw’s role will be more gravitas than getting outs: HIs four-seam fastball averaged 89 mph in his final season, leaving him to rely almost exclusively on his slider.

But the WBC is more than just packed-house showdowns against other global baseball powers like Japan, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Team USA will begin play in Pool B, with round-robin games against Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. Surely there’s an inning or two in there for Old Man Kersh.

After that, presumably, it will be back to dad life in suburban Dallas, where his wife, Ellen, gave birth last month to their fifth child. Before that, though, Dad apparently has a few more pitches to serve up.