After putting up solid numbers for the New England Patriots last year — more on that in a moment — Diggs has signed with the Washington Commanders for the 2026 campaign. According to multiple sources, the veteran WR inked a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $12 million. It is something of a homecoming for Diggs, who played his high school football at Good Counsel in Olney and played his college football at Maryland.
With many readers entering fantasy draft season, the question is simple: What are the fantasy implications of Diggs signing with the Commanders?
After playing in just eight games during the 2024 season, as Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 while playing for the Houston Texans, he signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots in May of 2025. Diggs appeared in all 17 regular-season games for New England, catching 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in Foxborough. Diggs led the Patriots in targets with 102 — he was the only New England receiver with more than 90 targets — and also led the team in both receptions and receiving yardage.
How he was used in New England could be a window into his usage in Washington. According to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Kayshon Boutte saw the most downfield targets on the Patriots a year ago (21) followed by Mack Hollins with 16. (Pro Football Focus defines these targets as coming 20 yards or more downfield).
Where Diggs led the way was in the short and intermediate areas of the field, often on crossing routes. Again, turning to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Diggs led the Patriots with 77 targets in the short area of the field, defined as throws between the line of scrimmage and nine yards downfield. Hollins was second on the Patriots, with only 30 such targets.
Turning now to the Commanders, last year Deebo Samuel led the team in those targets with 26. But with Samuel now in San Francisco, Diggs will be tasked with working that area of the field, allowing Terry McLaurin to continue stretching defenses in the vertical passing game. That is where McLaurin is at his best, and if you look at his 2024 numbers (when playing with a healthy Jayden Daniels) McLaurin saw a staggering 32 deep targets that season, the most on the Commanders by far.
For context, Noah Brown and Dyami Brown tied for second with nine each.
Another factor to consider is this: Washington’s new offensive coordinator. David Blough steps into the role, replacing Kliff Kingsbury. The expectation is that Blough will lean into the under-center, play-action passing game, a schematic tweak that will create opportunities for Diggs on those crossing routes underneath.
McLaurin will be Washington’s WR1, with Diggs slotting nicely into that WR2 role. He’ll see volume in this system — meaning he offers a nice boost in PPR formats — and while McLaurin could siphon the bulk of touchdowns (remember Diggs had only four a season ago) and Daniels could vulture some as well with his legs, there will be production to be gained by drafting Diggs in the later rounds as a WR3 with WR2 upside.
After putting up solid numbers for the New England Patriots last year — more on that in a moment — Diggs has signed with the Washington Commanders for the 2026 campaign. According to multiple sources, the veteran WR inked a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $12 million. It is something of a homecoming for Diggs, who played his high school football at Good Counsel in Olney and played his college football at Maryland.
With many readers entering fantasy draft season, the question is simple: What are the fantasy implications of Diggs signing with the Commanders?
After playing in just eight games during the 2024 season, as Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 while playing for the Houston Texans, he signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots in May of 2025. Diggs appeared in all 17 regular-season games for New England, catching 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in Foxborough. Diggs led the Patriots in targets with 102 — he was the only New England receiver with more than 90 targets — and also led the team in both receptions and receiving yardage.
How he was used in New England could be a window into his usage in Washington. According to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Kayshon Boutte saw the most downfield targets on the Patriots a year ago (21) followed by Mack Hollins with 16. (Pro Football Focus defines these targets as coming 20 yards or more downfield).
Where Diggs led the way was in the short and intermediate areas of the field, often on crossing routes. Again, turning to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Diggs led the Patriots with 77 targets in the short area of the field, defined as throws between the line of scrimmage and nine yards downfield. Hollins was second on the Patriots, with only 30 such targets.
Turning now to the Commanders, last year Deebo Samuel led the team in those targets with 26. But with Samuel now in San Francisco, Diggs will be tasked with working that area of the field, allowing Terry McLaurin to continue stretching defenses in the vertical passing game. That is where McLaurin is at his best, and if you look at his 2024 numbers (when playing with a healthy Jayden Daniels) McLaurin saw a staggering 32 deep targets that season, the most on the Commanders by far.
For context, Noah Brown and Dyami Brown tied for second with nine each.
Another factor to consider is this: Washington’s new offensive coordinator. David Blough steps into the role, replacing Kliff Kingsbury. The expectation is that Blough will lean into the under-center, play-action passing game, a schematic tweak that will create opportunities for Diggs on those crossing routes underneath.
McLaurin will be Washington’s WR1, with Diggs slotting nicely into that WR2 role. He’ll see volume in this system — meaning he offers a nice boost in PPR formats — and while McLaurin could siphon the bulk of touchdowns (remember Diggs had only four a season ago) and Daniels could vulture some as well with his legs, there will be production to be gained by drafting Diggs in the later rounds as a WR3 with WR2 upside.
#Stefon #Diggs #fantasy #football #outlook #Commanders #signing #means">Stefon Diggs fantasy football outlook: What Commanders signing means for 2026
Stefon Diggs finally has a home for the 2026 NFL season.
After putting up solid numbers for the New England Patriots last year — more on that in a moment — Diggs has signed with the Washington Commanders for the 2026 campaign. According to multiple sources, the veteran WR inked a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $12 million. It is something of a homecoming for Diggs, who played his high school football at Good Counsel in Olney and played his college football at Maryland.
With many readers entering fantasy draft season, the question is simple: What are the fantasy implications of Diggs signing with the Commanders?
After playing in just eight games during the 2024 season, as Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 while playing for the Houston Texans, he signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots in May of 2025. Diggs appeared in all 17 regular-season games for New England, catching 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in Foxborough. Diggs led the Patriots in targets with 102 — he was the only New England receiver with more than 90 targets — and also led the team in both receptions and receiving yardage.
How he was used in New England could be a window into his usage in Washington. According to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Kayshon Boutte saw the most downfield targets on the Patriots a year ago (21) followed by Mack Hollins with 16. (Pro Football Focus defines these targets as coming 20 yards or more downfield).
Where Diggs led the way was in the short and intermediate areas of the field, often on crossing routes. Again, turning to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Diggs led the Patriots with 77 targets in the short area of the field, defined as throws between the line of scrimmage and nine yards downfield. Hollins was second on the Patriots, with only 30 such targets.
Turning now to the Commanders, last year Deebo Samuel led the team in those targets with 26. But with Samuel now in San Francisco, Diggs will be tasked with working that area of the field, allowing Terry McLaurin to continue stretching defenses in the vertical passing game. That is where McLaurin is at his best, and if you look at his 2024 numbers (when playing with a healthy Jayden Daniels) McLaurin saw a staggering 32 deep targets that season, the most on the Commanders by far.
For context, Noah Brown and Dyami Brown tied for second with nine each.
Another factor to consider is this: Washington’s new offensive coordinator. David Blough steps into the role, replacing Kliff Kingsbury. The expectation is that Blough will lean into the under-center, play-action passing game, a schematic tweak that will create opportunities for Diggs on those crossing routes underneath.
McLaurin will be Washington’s WR1, with Diggs slotting nicely into that WR2 role. He’ll see volume in this system — meaning he offers a nice boost in PPR formats — and while McLaurin could siphon the bulk of touchdowns (remember Diggs had only four a season ago) and Daniels could vulture some as well with his legs, there will be production to be gained by drafting Diggs in the later rounds as a WR3 with WR2 upside.
The plight of the rest of the team remains unclear since their return to Iran.
AFP reporters saw them cross into their homeland from Turkey on a bus wearing the national team tracksuits and with their hair covered.
Soon after, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the players and their support team were “children of the homeland and the people of Iran embrace them”.
By returning, they had “disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements”, he added.
The plight of the rest of the team remains unclear since their return to Iran.
AFP reporters saw them cross into their homeland from Turkey on a bus wearing the national team tracksuits and with their hair covered.
Soon after, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the players and their support team were “children of the homeland and the people of Iran embrace them”.
By returning, they had “disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements”, he added.
Published on Aug 06, 2026
#Iranian #women #footballers #granted #Australian #citizenship">Former Iranian women footballers granted Australian citizenship
Two former Iranian women footballers said Thursday they were “proud” to have been granted Australian citizenship after being branded traitors at home for refusing to sing the national anthem before a game.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were members of a group of seven from Iran’s delegation who asked for Australia’s protection following the high-profile protest during the women’s Asian Cup in March.
With their demands for protection an embarrassment for Iran’s leaders but lauded by US President Donald Trump, five later changed their minds and returned home.
Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh stayed, however, and were granted Australian citizenship at a ceremony on Wednesday overseen by interior minister Tony Burke.
“Yesterday was a truly special and unforgettable day for me. I feel proud and deeply grateful to become an Australian citizen,” Ramezanisadeh said in a statement.
“After everything we’ve been through and all the challenges we faced, this moment means more than words can express,” Pasandideh added.
A week after seeking asylum, the pair was pictured smiling and training with Australian club Brisbane Roar, which on Wednesday congratulated the pair.
“What they have been through since February is more than most people deal with in a lifetime,” a spokesman for the club said.
“To see them arrive at this point is something everyone here at Brisbane Roar is glad to have had a small part in,” they added.
“Queensland is their home now. If they ever want to pull on a training top and come back out with us, the door will always stay open.”
The plight of the rest of the team remains unclear since their return to Iran.
AFP reporters saw them cross into their homeland from Turkey on a bus wearing the national team tracksuits and with their hair covered.
Soon after, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the players and their support team were “children of the homeland and the people of Iran embrace them”.
By returning, they had “disappointed the enemies (of Iran) and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements”, he added.
#Deadspin #Junior #Caminero #Victor #Mesa #lead #Rays #Rockies">Deadspin | Junior Caminero, Victor Mesa Jr., lead Rays past Rockies
Aug 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez (28) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Junior Caminero homered, Victor Mesa Jr. had two triples, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0 in Denver on Wednesday.
Nick Martinez (11-3) had another strong outing for Tampa Bay, scattering six hits in 5 2/3 innings to tie his career high in victories. The Rays swept a series for the 11th time this season, which is fourth most in franchise history and three behind the record set in 2021.
Kyle Karros had two hits for Colorado, which finished its homestand 3-3 ahead of its longest road trip of the season.
The Rays jumped on Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano in the first inning. Mesa led off with his first triple of the day and scored on Jonathan Aranda’s single. Caminero walked, and Aranda went to third on a flyout.
Chandler Simpson’s bloop single to left drove in Aranda to make it 2-0. Caminero led off the third inning with a 449-foot blast to left field, his 33rd homer of the season.
Sugano (11-5) settled in and retired the next nine batters before walking Liam Hicks leading off the sixth. He was replaced by Parker Mushinski after allowing three runs on five hits in five-plus innings.
The Rockies threatened in the fourth when Mickey Moniak and Karros led off with singles but TJ Rumfield flew out and Jordan Beck hit into a double play to end the inning.
Martinez didn’t strike out his first batter until after there was one out in the fifth, and he finished with four on the day. He fanned two after giving up a leadoff single to Jake McCarthy in the sixth and left after Karros lined a single to put runners on the corners with two outs.
Tyler Wells fanned Rumfield to end the threat.
Tampa Bay added to its lead in the seventh without a hit. Taylor Walls drew a leadoff walk, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Mesa’s sacrifice bunt.
With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.
After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.
So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?
To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.
Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.
And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.
After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).
But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.
Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.
And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.
“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”
After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.
In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.
That’s when Indiana came calling.
When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.
“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”
Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.
As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.
“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”
Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.
“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”
The same could be said for their coach.
“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”
Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.
As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.
But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.
“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”
As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.
“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.
Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.
“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.
But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.
“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.
“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”
At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.
Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.
“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.
“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.
“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”
Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.
“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”
As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.
“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.
“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.
“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.
“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.
“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”
Do not expect any excuses.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.
“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.
With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.
After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.
So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?
To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.
Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.
And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.
After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).
But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.
Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.
And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.
“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”
After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.
In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.
That’s when Indiana came calling.
When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.
“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”
Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.
As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.
“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”
Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.
“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”
The same could be said for their coach.
“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”
Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.
As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.
But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.
“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”
As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.
“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.
Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.
“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.
But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.
“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.
“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”
At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.
Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.
“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.
“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.
“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”
Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.
“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”
As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.
“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.
“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.
“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.
“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.
“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”
Do not expect any excuses.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.
“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.
Hard to expect him to start now.
#Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore">What can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore?
“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”
With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.
After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.
So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?
To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.
Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.
And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.
After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).
But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.
Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.
And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.
“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”
After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.
In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.
That’s when Indiana came calling.
When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.
“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”
Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.
As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.
“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”
Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.
“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”
The same could be said for their coach.
“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”
Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.
As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.
But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.
“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”
As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.
“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.
Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.
“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.
But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.
“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.
“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”
At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.
Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.
“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.
“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.
“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”
Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.
“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”
As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.
“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.
“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.
“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.
“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.
“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”
Do not expect any excuses.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.
“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”
Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.
Hard to expect him to start now.
#Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore
“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”With those eight words, declared minutes into his…
In 4x400m mixed relay, Indian quartet recorded a Season’s Best timing but missed out on qualifying for the final.
Piyush Raj, Tahura Khatun, Sayed Sabeer and Thiya Arumugam clocked 3:22.85s to finish fourth in the first heat. However, only the top three teams from each of the three heats was guaranteed a spot in the final.
In heat 1, Great Britain topped with a timing of 3:21.27s, Poland finished second after clocking 3:21.47s while Czechia grabbed the final qualification spot in 3:21.58s.
Later in the day, discus thrower Amanat Kamboj will also begin her campaign in the qualification round.
In 4x400m mixed relay, Indian quartet recorded a Season’s Best timing but missed out on qualifying for the final.
Piyush Raj, Tahura Khatun, Sayed Sabeer and Thiya Arumugam clocked 3:22.85s to finish fourth in the first heat. However, only the top three teams from each of the three heats was guaranteed a spot in the final.
In heat 1, Great Britain topped with a timing of 3:21.27s, Poland finished second after clocking 3:21.47s while Czechia grabbed the final qualification spot in 3:21.58s.
Later in the day, discus thrower Amanat Kamboj will also begin her campaign in the qualification round.
Ashish Yadav and T. Dharanidharan both qualified for the men’s javelin throw final on Wednesday, the opening day of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Neither of the two Indians achieved the automatic qualification mark of 72.50m but they finished amongst the Top 12 throwers which helped them book their spot for Friday’s final.
While Ashish stood second amongst the 26 athletes across the two groups with an effort of 69.87m, Dharanidharan grabbed the last qualification spot with a throw of 68.07m.
South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans topped the qualification round with his one and only throw of 76.02m.
In men’s 800m, Uwin Anand couldn’t progress beyond the first round but Mogali Venkatram secured his place in the semifinals. In the second heat, Uwin finished seventh as he clocked 1:52.37s while in the fifth and final heat, Mogali finished third with a timing of 1:52.81s.
Top five finishers in every heat along with two fastest losers from the rest of the field grabbed qualification spots.
In 4x400m mixed relay, Indian quartet recorded a Season’s Best timing but missed out on qualifying for the final.
Piyush Raj, Tahura Khatun, Sayed Sabeer and Thiya Arumugam clocked 3:22.85s to finish fourth in the first heat. However, only the top three teams from each of the three heats was guaranteed a spot in the final.
In heat 1, Great Britain topped with a timing of 3:21.27s, Poland finished second after clocking 3:21.47s while Czechia grabbed the final qualification spot in 3:21.58s.
Later in the day, discus thrower Amanat Kamboj will also begin her campaign in the qualification round.
Before joining Sao Paulo in 2025, Tapia played for Argentina’s River Plate (2025) and Chile’s Universidad Catolica (2020-24). Internationally, he has scored three goals in 12 caps for Chile since his 2024 debut.
Before joining Sao Paulo in 2025, Tapia played for Argentina’s River Plate (2025) and Chile’s Universidad Catolica (2020-24). Internationally, he has scored three goals in 12 caps for Chile since his 2024 debut.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Crew #acquire #Chilean #Gonzalo #Tapia #loan">Deadspin | Crew acquire Chilean F Gonzalo Tapia on loan
Aug 4, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; General view of official balls prior to the warm up between Vancouver Whitecaps and Atlante FC during the Leagues Cup Phase One match at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
The Columbus Crew acquired forward Gonzalo Tapia on loan from Brazilian Serie A side Sao Paulo on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Chilean’s loan period runs through the 2027 MLS sprint season and includes a purchase option.
Tapia has recorded 30 goals and 10 assists in 172 career matches with multiple clubs across South America.
“Gonzalo is a talented and hard-working player who brings quality and competition to our attack,” Crew general manager Issa Tall said. “We believe he has the attributes to make an immediate impact to the team. We’re excited to welcome Gonzalo to Columbus and look forward to integrating him into the group and seeing the contributions he’ll make.”
Before joining Sao Paulo in 2025, Tapia played for Argentina’s River Plate (2025) and Chile’s Universidad Catolica (2020-24). Internationally, he has scored three goals in 12 caps for Chile since his 2024 debut.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 24: Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx shoots the ball against Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics during the third quarter at CareFirst Arena on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Lynx defeated the Mystics 78-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Getty Images
The Lynx will be heavily favored in this match-up, though the Mystics have won 4 straight and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. Minnesota has been led by Rookie of the Year shoo-in Olivia Miles, as well as a supporting cast that includes Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Natasha Howard.
On top of that, Napheesa Collier is back from double ankle surgeries that sidelined her for most of the season. Minnesota has won 10 straight games and have outscored opponents by an average of 9.3 points per game this season.
The Mystics, therefore, face an uphill climb in the first round. Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron have all had big-time seasons, but all three have very limited playoff experience (Austin played two postseason games in 2022, while Iriafen and Citron did not make the playoffs as rookies). Washington will be happy to get playoff experience for their young core, but this is a formidable first-round assignment. The two teams have split their regular season series so far, and both games came down to the wire.
Another fun wrinkle? Former Notre Dame guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron would be squaring off.
Tentative Prediction: Lynx in 2
#2 Las Vegas Aces (21-9) vs #7 New York Liberty (18-13)
BROOKLYN, NY – OCTOBER 1: Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty plays defense on A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during Round Two Game Two of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on October 1, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Few could have projected that the Aces and Liberty would square off in the first round. The two teams faced off in the 2023 Finals, with Las Vegas emerging victorious, and then again in the 2024 Semi-Finals, with New York coming out on top en route to their franchise-first championship.
But New York has had a down year and unexpectedly slipped to the 7th-best record in the league under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco. It still could all come together. New York has been better with Leonie Fiebich in the lineup, and Sabrina Ionescu is finally healthy. But Breanna Stewart needs more from her supporting cast — whether that’s more consistency from former MVP Jonquel Jones or more from the bench.
The Aces have won three titles in the last four seasons, and while they haven’t had a perfect season, A’ja Wilson continues to play some of the best basketball of her career while the championship backcourt of Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray continues to thrive.
New York beat Las Vegas in the Commissioner’s Cup, but that was with Wilson sidelined, so it’s hard to know how much of what worked then would carry over to a postseason matchup. The Aces and Liberty split the other two matchups.
TentativePrediction: Aces in 3
#3 Golden State Valkyries (21-9) vs #6 Atlanta Dream (18-11)
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 4: Jordin Canada #3 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 4, 2026 at Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The Valkyries swept their season series against the Dream over the span of a week, beating them three times as part of Atlanta’s season-worst 5-game losing streak. Was that just a bad week at work for the Dream, or a sign of potential trouble to come in a postseason matchup?
Angel Reese has been a revelation for Atlanta, and Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray were both All-Stars, again. But will they be able to muster up a play style in the playoffs they couldn’t find in the regular season matchup?
Golden State, meanwhile, has been a powerhouse. But will their offensive woes catch up to them in a slowed-down playoff environment? The Valkyries have been elite defensively, but don’t quite have the go-to scoring options that other teams of their caliber do.
TentativePrediction: Valkyries in 3
#4 Dallas Wings (19-11) vs #5 Indiana Fever (19-11)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 9: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Wings on May 9, 2026 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse inIndianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Dean/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
This matchup would feature three of the most electric guards in the league in Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Mitchell. Plus, No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd has had an underrated rookie campaign.
Both the Wings and the Fever have had good seasons, and would make for a star-studded first-round matchup if current standings hold come playoff time. This would be an offensive battle, as both teams have some defensive deficiencies. It will also be the first time Bueckers laces up for playoff action (Clark played two playoff games in her rookie season, but was sidelined in her sophomore campaign).
The Wings and Fever faced off on Opening Day, with the Wings walking away with a 3-point victory. They haven’t faced off since, so it’s anybody’s guess how things would fare come September.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 24: Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx shoots the ball against Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics during the third quarter at CareFirst Arena on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Lynx defeated the Mystics 78-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Getty Images
The Lynx will be heavily favored in this match-up, though the Mystics have won 4 straight and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. Minnesota has been led by Rookie of the Year shoo-in Olivia Miles, as well as a supporting cast that includes Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Natasha Howard.
On top of that, Napheesa Collier is back from double ankle surgeries that sidelined her for most of the season. Minnesota has won 10 straight games and have outscored opponents by an average of 9.3 points per game this season.
The Mystics, therefore, face an uphill climb in the first round. Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron have all had big-time seasons, but all three have very limited playoff experience (Austin played two postseason games in 2022, while Iriafen and Citron did not make the playoffs as rookies). Washington will be happy to get playoff experience for their young core, but this is a formidable first-round assignment. The two teams have split their regular season series so far, and both games came down to the wire.
Another fun wrinkle? Former Notre Dame guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron would be squaring off.
Tentative Prediction: Lynx in 2
#2 Las Vegas Aces (21-9) vs #7 New York Liberty (18-13)
BROOKLYN, NY – OCTOBER 1: Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty plays defense on A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during Round Two Game Two of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on October 1, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Few could have projected that the Aces and Liberty would square off in the first round. The two teams faced off in the 2023 Finals, with Las Vegas emerging victorious, and then again in the 2024 Semi-Finals, with New York coming out on top en route to their franchise-first championship.
But New York has had a down year and unexpectedly slipped to the 7th-best record in the league under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco. It still could all come together. New York has been better with Leonie Fiebich in the lineup, and Sabrina Ionescu is finally healthy. But Breanna Stewart needs more from her supporting cast — whether that’s more consistency from former MVP Jonquel Jones or more from the bench.
The Aces have won three titles in the last four seasons, and while they haven’t had a perfect season, A’ja Wilson continues to play some of the best basketball of her career while the championship backcourt of Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray continues to thrive.
New York beat Las Vegas in the Commissioner’s Cup, but that was with Wilson sidelined, so it’s hard to know how much of what worked then would carry over to a postseason matchup. The Aces and Liberty split the other two matchups.
TentativePrediction: Aces in 3
#3 Golden State Valkyries (21-9) vs #6 Atlanta Dream (18-11)
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 4: Jordin Canada #3 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 4, 2026 at Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The Valkyries swept their season series against the Dream over the span of a week, beating them three times as part of Atlanta’s season-worst 5-game losing streak. Was that just a bad week at work for the Dream, or a sign of potential trouble to come in a postseason matchup?
Angel Reese has been a revelation for Atlanta, and Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray were both All-Stars, again. But will they be able to muster up a play style in the playoffs they couldn’t find in the regular season matchup?
Golden State, meanwhile, has been a powerhouse. But will their offensive woes catch up to them in a slowed-down playoff environment? The Valkyries have been elite defensively, but don’t quite have the go-to scoring options that other teams of their caliber do.
TentativePrediction: Valkyries in 3
#4 Dallas Wings (19-11) vs #5 Indiana Fever (19-11)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 9: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Wings on May 9, 2026 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse inIndianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Dean/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
This matchup would feature three of the most electric guards in the league in Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Mitchell. Plus, No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd has had an underrated rookie campaign.
Both the Wings and the Fever have had good seasons, and would make for a star-studded first-round matchup if current standings hold come playoff time. This would be an offensive battle, as both teams have some defensive deficiencies. It will also be the first time Bueckers laces up for playoff action (Clark played two playoff games in her rookie season, but was sidelined in her sophomore campaign).
The Wings and Fever faced off on Opening Day, with the Wings walking away with a 3-point victory. They haven’t faced off since, so it’s anybody’s guess how things would fare come September.
TentativePrediction: Fever in 3
#Waytooearly #WNBA #playoff #series #matchups #predictions">Way-too-early WNBA playoff series matchups and predictions
If the WNBA playoffs started today, we’d be in store for four riveting first-round series. The league-best Minnesota Lynx would face the surging Washington Mystics. The reigning champions, Las Vegas Aces, would face the New York Liberty. Gabby Williams and the Golden State Valkyries would host Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream. And Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever would battle Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
Here’s how the first round would stack up, and my way-too-early predictions for who will emerge victorious.
#1 Minnesota Lynx (25-6) vs #8 Washington Mystics (16-12)
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 24: Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx shoots the ball against Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics during the third quarter at CareFirst Arena on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Lynx defeated the Mystics 78-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Getty Images
The Lynx will be heavily favored in this match-up, though the Mystics have won 4 straight and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. Minnesota has been led by Rookie of the Year shoo-in Olivia Miles, as well as a supporting cast that includes Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Natasha Howard.
On top of that, Napheesa Collier is back from double ankle surgeries that sidelined her for most of the season. Minnesota has won 10 straight games and have outscored opponents by an average of 9.3 points per game this season.
The Mystics, therefore, face an uphill climb in the first round. Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron have all had big-time seasons, but all three have very limited playoff experience (Austin played two postseason games in 2022, while Iriafen and Citron did not make the playoffs as rookies). Washington will be happy to get playoff experience for their young core, but this is a formidable first-round assignment. The two teams have split their regular season series so far, and both games came down to the wire.
Another fun wrinkle? Former Notre Dame guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron would be squaring off.
Tentative Prediction: Lynx in 2
#2 Las Vegas Aces (21-9) vs #7 New York Liberty (18-13)
BROOKLYN, NY – OCTOBER 1: Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty plays defense on A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during Round Two Game Two of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on October 1, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Few could have projected that the Aces and Liberty would square off in the first round. The two teams faced off in the 2023 Finals, with Las Vegas emerging victorious, and then again in the 2024 Semi-Finals, with New York coming out on top en route to their franchise-first championship.
But New York has had a down year and unexpectedly slipped to the 7th-best record in the league under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco. It still could all come together. New York has been better with Leonie Fiebich in the lineup, and Sabrina Ionescu is finally healthy. But Breanna Stewart needs more from her supporting cast — whether that’s more consistency from former MVP Jonquel Jones or more from the bench.
The Aces have won three titles in the last four seasons, and while they haven’t had a perfect season, A’ja Wilson continues to play some of the best basketball of her career while the championship backcourt of Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray continues to thrive.
New York beat Las Vegas in the Commissioner’s Cup, but that was with Wilson sidelined, so it’s hard to know how much of what worked then would carry over to a postseason matchup. The Aces and Liberty split the other two matchups.
TentativePrediction: Aces in 3
#3 Golden State Valkyries (21-9) vs #6 Atlanta Dream (18-11)
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 4: Jordin Canada #3 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Valkyries on July 4, 2026 at Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The Valkyries swept their season series against the Dream over the span of a week, beating them three times as part of Atlanta’s season-worst 5-game losing streak. Was that just a bad week at work for the Dream, or a sign of potential trouble to come in a postseason matchup?
Angel Reese has been a revelation for Atlanta, and Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray were both All-Stars, again. But will they be able to muster up a play style in the playoffs they couldn’t find in the regular season matchup?
Golden State, meanwhile, has been a powerhouse. But will their offensive woes catch up to them in a slowed-down playoff environment? The Valkyries have been elite defensively, but don’t quite have the go-to scoring options that other teams of their caliber do.
TentativePrediction: Valkyries in 3
#4 Dallas Wings (19-11) vs #5 Indiana Fever (19-11)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 9: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Wings on May 9, 2026 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse inIndianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Dean/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
This matchup would feature three of the most electric guards in the league in Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Mitchell. Plus, No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd has had an underrated rookie campaign.
Both the Wings and the Fever have had good seasons, and would make for a star-studded first-round matchup if current standings hold come playoff time. This would be an offensive battle, as both teams have some defensive deficiencies. It will also be the first time Bueckers laces up for playoff action (Clark played two playoff games in her rookie season, but was sidelined in her sophomore campaign).
The Wings and Fever faced off on Opening Day, with the Wings walking away with a 3-point victory. They haven’t faced off since, so it’s anybody’s guess how things would fare come September.
#Chelsea #Juventus #Mudryk #returns #Alonso #suffers #consecutive #losses #Blues #boss">Chelsea vs Juventus: Mudryk returns but Alonso suffers consecutive losses as Blues’ boss
Mykhailo Mudryk played for Chelsea for the first time in nearly two years on Wednesday but was unable to stop his side falling to a 0-1 friendly defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong.
The Ukrainian winger came on as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute, drawing applause from his teammate and loud cheers from thousands of Chelsea fans at Kai Tak Stadium.
Mudryk had not played since November 2024 because of a doping ban, but won permission to resume his football career on Friday after winning an appeal.
Despite a lively cameo on the left side, it was Juventus which took the spoils thanks to a wonderful second-half strike from Kosovo international Edon Zhegrova.
Neither side could find the breakthrough in a drab first half as two experimental line-ups, with Chelsea choosing to leave out Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Danny Welbeck could have scored a goal on his Chelsea debut but the veteran England striker failed to direct a flicked header on target after 11 minutes.
Juventus came closest a few minutes before half-time when midfielder Jeremie Boga took aim from just outside the penalty area and forced Blues’ goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into a diving save.
Early in the second period, a long ball from Chelsea skipper Moises Caicedo put full-back Marco Palestra in on goal but his tame shot could not beat Mattia Perin.
Juventus finally broke the deadlock with a moment of magic in the 68th minute, Kenan Yildiz squaring for Zhegrova who curled into the top corner from outside the area.
Both sides rang the changes but no number of substitutions gave Chelsea the cutting edge it craved as the game petered out.
#Deadspin #Rangers #Ezequiel #Duran #torment #Giants #rubber #game">Deadspin | Rangers’ Ezequiel Duran out to torment Giants again in rubber game
Aug 4, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) hits a walk-off RBI double against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Ezequiel Duran will look to enhance his growing reputation as a Giants killer when the Texas Rangers complete a three-game series against San Francisco on Wednesday at Arlington, Texas.
Duran delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning and game-winning two-bagger in the ninth as the Rangers beat the Giants 5-4 on Tuesday. He has gone 7-for-9 with a homer and five RBIs as the teams split the first two games of the set.
“Zeke Duran, what a couple games he’s had,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “What a year he’s had. That was a fantastic fight back and a really good game for him.”
The stellar performances continue Duran’s startling run of production against the Giants: 17-for-31 (.548) with 11 RBIs in eight career games.
More important to Duran was delivering when the team needed big hits.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “Everybody is doing an amazing job. We’re trying to go 100% every time and just win games.”
The Tuesday victory halted a season-worst six-game slide for the Rangers.
Before scoring two runs in the first inning, Texas had gone 40 innings without holding a lead, dating back to Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Schumaker was paying close attention in the dugout as the Giants scored twice in the top of the ninth to tie the score. He saw the attitudes stay high before Duran’s winning double, which came on a ball hit over the head of right fielder Jung Hoo Lee, who fell on the warning track as the ball landed to his left.
“I’m glad we won the game,” Schumaker said. “A lot of things happened to where you could have gone, ‘Here we go again. We’re in a losing streak and finding ways to lose.’ That could have been the assumption in the dugout, but it wasn’t. That was really encouraging.”
Corey Seager had his first three-hit game of the season for the Rangers, inching his batting average up to .201. He was playing in his fifth game since returning from a back injury.
The Giants lost for the fourth time in five games.
Bryce Eldridge hit a tying two-run single in the ninth for San Francisco. Osleivis Basabe belted a two-run homer, and he has gone deep three times in six games since being promoted from Triple-A Sacramento.
San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman (abdominal injury) has missed the past five weeks and could end up undergoing season-ending surgery.
Giants manager Tony Vitello said Chapman would visit a specialist in Philadelphia.
Chapman is batting .235 with seven homers and 42 RBIs in 84 games this season.
Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt (2-2, 6.63 ERA) will try to secure a series victory for the struggling Giants.
Whisenhunt, 25, has given up 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings while losing his past two outings. He yielded four runs and five hits while falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 26, then permitted six runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres on Friday.
“Obviously, he stepped up, he got a couple chances,” Vitello said of Whisenhunt, who likely will receive a long look the rest of the season.
Whisenhunt will be making his 10th career appearance (all starts) and first against the Rangers.
Left-hander Cody Bradford will start Wednesday for Texas in his first major league appearance since 2024. He missed last season with an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery 13-plus months ago.
Bradford, 28, made five minor league rehab starts — three for Double-A Frisco, two for Triple-A Red Rock — and had a 2.25 ERA over 12 innings.
Bradford went 10-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 34 appearances (21 starts) with the Rangers in 2023 and ’24. He has never faced San Francisco.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline had a bit of everything, a generational superstar on the move and a true depth of important players landing on new teams. Now that the dust is mostly settled, it’s time to see how these players perform for their clubs. A number of clubs can credibly claim they got exactly what they wanted at the deadline and came out better for it.
Which team won the trade deadline?
Even while there is no doubt who the biggest star was moved before the deadline, the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, there is no guarantee as to who will make the biggest difference this season. The Dodgers are already full of stars, and Skubal is only going every fifth day. A player like Clay Holmes going to the Cubs might make a bigger difference to a team still trying to make a run. Or Adley Rutschman, an emerging star at catcher, who is going to theoretically propel the Red Sox every day through the final stretch.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline had a bit of everything, a generational superstar on the move and a true depth of important players landing on new teams. Now that the dust is mostly settled, it’s time to see how these players perform for their clubs. A number of clubs can credibly claim they got exactly what they wanted at the deadline and came out better for it.
Which team won the trade deadline?
Even while there is no doubt who the biggest star was moved before the deadline, the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, there is no guarantee as to who will make the biggest difference this season. The Dodgers are already full of stars, and Skubal is only going every fifth day. A player like Clay Holmes going to the Cubs might make a bigger difference to a team still trying to make a run. Or Adley Rutschman, an emerging star at catcher, who is going to theoretically propel the Red Sox every day through the final stretch.
Which player will make the biggest difference?
#MLB #Reacts #Fallout #trade #deadline">MLB Reacts: Fallout from the trade deadline
Not every trade deadline pays out the way fans want. Some end with more of a whimper than a bang. This was not one of those years.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline had a bit of everything, a generational superstar on the move and a true depth of important players landing on new teams. Now that the dust is mostly settled, it’s time to see how these players perform for their clubs. A number of clubs can credibly claim they got exactly what they wanted at the deadline and came out better for it.
Which team won the trade deadline?
Even while there is no doubt who the biggest star was moved before the deadline, the Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal, there is no guarantee as to who will make the biggest difference this season. The Dodgers are already full of stars, and Skubal is only going every fifth day. A player like Clay Holmes going to the Cubs might make a bigger difference to a team still trying to make a run. Or Adley Rutschman, an emerging star at catcher, who is going to theoretically propel the Red Sox every day through the final stretch.
Which player will make the biggest difference?
#MLB #Reacts #Fallout #trade #deadline
Not every trade deadline pays out the way fans want. Some end with more of…
![What can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore? “Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.That’s when Indiana came calling.When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”The same could be said for their coach.“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.Cignetti talked about Marsh at the Big Ten Media Days last month.“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”Do not expect any excuses.“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.Hard to expect him to start now. #Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/gettyimages-2256616667.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.664146549656%2C100%2C78.671706900689&w=1200&ssl=1 "What can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore? “Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.”With those eight words, declared minutes into his first press conference as the new head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti announced his vision for the school’s football program, which had languished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years. It became a viral sensation, with many wondering if Cignetti could back up that declaration.After leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season, Cignetti took Indiana a step further last year, guiding the school to its first national championship, and helping Fernando Mendoza become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana history.So just what, if anything, can Cignetti and the Hoosiers do for an encore?To answer that question, we might need to look back for a minute.Cignetti’s college football journey began in Morgantown, as a backup quarterback for West Virginia. His father was the head coach for the Mountaineers from 1976 through 1979, and after graduating from Morgantown High School in 1979, he enrolled at West Virginia.And he was buried on the depth chart behind Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler. Cignetti appeared in one game during his time on campus, with one rushing attempt against Virginia during the 1981 season.After graduating, he immediately moved into coaching, taking a role on the staff at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. Cignetti began working his way through the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball, ultimately landing on the coaching staff at Alabama, during Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, as the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.During his time at Alabama — stretching from 2007 through 2010 — the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2009, and won 29 consecutive games. Cignetti was credited with helping recruit and develop players such as Mark Ingram II, Dont’a Hightower, and Julio Jones, who Cignetti also coached as his WR coach. The 2008 Alabama recruiting class included several future first-round picks (Hightower, Jones, Ingram, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Barron among them).But Cignetti had an eye on taking a head coaching job, and was a finalist for the Kent State position, Saban’s alma mater, at the end of the 2010 season. The gig went to Darrell Hazell, and Cignetti turned his attention elsewhere.Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program where his father, Frank, won 14 conference titles over two decades.Saban warned him against taking the job — “you can get lost down there” he said — but Cignetti went anyway.And started a head coaching career that has yet to end with a losing season.“I woke up many mornings like, ‘What did I do?’” Cignetti admitted while looking back in 2024. “But we got things rolling.”After six seasons at IUP, including three trips to the Division II playoffs, Cignetti made his next move, taking the job at Elon. In two years coaching the Phoenix, he led the school to a combined 14-9 record, and two consecutive spots in the FCS playoffs. Then in 2019 he moved within the Colonial Athletic Association, taking the job at James Madison.In his first three years in Harrisonburg, he led the Dukes to the FBS playoffs all three seasons, including a loss in the title game in 2019 and losses in the semifinals in both 2020 and 2021. Then JMU moved to the Sun Belt Conference for 2022, and again the winning continued. The Dukes finished 8-3 in their first season in the FCS, and improved to 11-1 in 2023, securing a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl.That’s when Indiana came calling.When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he inherited a team that was coming off a 3-9 record, and had endured three consecutive losing seasons. Indiana went 9-27 in the three years before Cignetti was hired. But as you might expect from Cignetti having seen him — and his resume — he did not intend to start losing in 2024.“There was sort of a dark cloud lingering over the football program here,” Cignetti said. “A lot of people had given up on it, to be honest with you. That sort of attitude permeated people outside the university, too. I could sense it talking to the media. It was my first day here. I could just feel it and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t going to have any of it.”Cignetti relied heavily on the transfer portal for his first year in the Big Ten, including 13 players who followed him from James Madison. That list of transfers also included quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who joined Indiana from Ohio.As Rourke pointed out, it was all part of Cignetti’s plan to transform the culture overnight.“He started to weed out who was going to help or hurt the team,” Rourke said. “He didn’t care about feelings. He wanted to set a tone and develop a culture. He earned a lot of respect from us.”Part of that culture shift rested in how the transfers viewed themselves, and mirrored Cignetti’s own path to a Big Ten program. 21 of the incoming transfers for that first season came from either FCS schools or Group of 5 teams, so much so that the group gave themselves the nickname the “Group of Five All-Stars.” Said linebacker Aiden Fisher in 2024, ”[t]hey said we had too many Group of Five players. We’ve put that in the back of our mind. We remember it.“We’ve all got that edge,” Fisher added. ‘I’ve always deserved to be here in the spotlight.’”The same could be said for their coach.“It took me a while, right?” Cignetti described in 2024. “I had to take the path less traveled to get to where I am. A little something to prove.”Indiana reached the College Football Playoff in that first season, losing just one game in the regular season, at Ohio State. But with Rourke playing on a torn ACL that he was managing the entire season, Indiana struggled in the First Round game against Notre Dame, bowing out by a final score of 27-17.As for last season? You know how that ended, with Cignetti holding the National Championship trophy aloft, celebrating an undefeated season, and seeing another transfer quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, become the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner and come off the board as the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft.But the days of celebrating are over, and it is time to get back to work for Cignetti and company.“Obviously, a lot of people on the outside are still celebrating our success, and maybe the administration and people at the university, but in the building you flip the page,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports in the outlet’s season preview magazine. “I think we’ve done a good job of that, I really do. There’s a lot of work to be done. Everybody’s 0-0 right now. All the new guys that are out there have done some good things and some not-so-good things, and usually they have a great summer, and they’re a different guy in fall camp and during the season. We’re counting on them being on the same trajectory as the other ones, but I don’t notice anybody resting on their laurels.”As for those new faces, Cignetti again dipped into the transfer portal to address needs on both sides of the football. With both Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt off to the NFL, Indiana added Nick Marsh from Michigan State, and he’ll line up across from returning starter Charlie Becker.Cignetti talked about Marsh at the Big Ten Media Days last month.“I think Nick Marsh is a proven two-year player at wide receiver, very productive. I think you’re probably talking about the golden shoes the first day of practice. We don’t do that where I coach. He got the message, and he’s been great. He had a great summer, and I’m expecting big things from him,” said the Indiana coach.Outside of Marsh, Cignetti pointed to a pair of transfers from Kansas State as well as running back Turbo Richard as some of the other transfers that has stood out so far.“The two Kansas State guys, the D-Ends [Tobi Osunsamni and Chiddi Obiazor], I’ve noticed them really starting to take a step. Turbo is very consistent at running back. Joe Brunner [an offensive guard] from Wisconsin. The safety from Wisconsin, [Preston] Zachman, is making nice progress,” said Cignetti to Athlon Sports.But the biggest transfer is the one tasked with replacing Mendoza. That would be Josh Hoover, who joins the Hoosiers after two years as a starter at TCU.“He’s a quick thinker who has played a lot of football,” described Cignetti to Athlon Sports. “He moves better than Rourke, but Rourke has some natural quarterback instincts that Josh has, too. Fernando, he’s six-foot-five, could really move. We’ve always tilted more towards the run in terms of the run-pass ratio, although in competitive situations last year, we’re about 50-50.“Whereas where [Hoover] came from, they’re throwing the ball about 60% of the time. It’ll be a lot different for him, more advantageous. He did turn the ball over at TCU, so we’re going to have to do a great job of protecting the ball.”At the Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti was asked for a similarity between Hoover, and the QB he is replacing.Cignetti started with a quip, as you might expect.“They both played quarterback, they were both starting quarterbacks where they came from,” began the head coach.“Josh Hoover has won a lot of football games, thrown for a lot of yards, thrown a lot of touchdown passes. He has an innate ability to play the position of quarterback, kind of a natural passer, very accurate, processes very quickly.“I think the things we’ll ask him to do are different than the things TCU asked him to do. We’re not going to put the ball in his hand and say go win the game and outscore people. We’re going to give him a run game, a defense, and special teams and every once in a while on third down a punch-positive play.”Cignetti closed his remarks on Hoover by outlining some expectations.“I’m really anxious to see Josh and the progress he’s made in practice starting on Wednesday and fall camp. All the one-year quarterbacks have followed the same line, and I expect him to, as well.”As for what to expect from Cignetti and the Hoosiers this season, the new standard is, well, the standard.“I think we have a lot of nice pieces. I think we excel at development and creating the intangibles, and once we get closer to the season as a staff, it’s extremely beneficial. The staff continuity that I have had, that President Whitten and Scott Dolson make possible, we’re on the same page. They know the blueprint, the process, the plan, okay,” said Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days.“What it really does, to be honest with you, and we’re still trying to get better, we’re trying to improve the way we do things, is those down times can really be down times for the coaches, which they like their quality of life with me, which I think the players do, too, with the way we practice.“All I can say is, like, going into this season, I know I’m going to get asked some questions. We’re very process-driven. Our focus is on the things you have to do in the here and now to improve as much as possible. To improve as much as possible today. Those types of things. We don’t talk about product, results. We don’t talk about championships, playoffs, National Championships, those sorts of things, okay.“I’m a firm believer in our blueprint. Our Monday morning meeting will be very similar to what it was eight years ago. It’ll be about an hour long. There’s certain things we’ll do in there, there’s certain things I’ll say in the team meeting Tuesday night that I said eight years ago. It’s not word for word, but it’s pretty damn close.“The way we practice, pretty similar to what we did eight years ago. We have a way of doing things. We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”Do not expect any excuses.“The Big Ten is the best league in football, and a lot of really good football teams it’s hard to win on the road, very physical football teams, very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs,” said Cignetti as he concluded his remarks at Big Ten Media Days.“There’s no doubt about it, the numbers speak for themselves.“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say: We fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”Of course, Cignetti has not seen a losing season yet as a head coach.Hard to expect him to start now. #Indiana #Curt #Cignetti #encore")
