"Curt Cignetti is a national champion -- and a happy one at that. Just take it from his daughter, Natalie. Back in 2019, after Cignetti's James Madison squad blew out Monmouth 66-21 in its FCS playoff opener, Natalie had a simple question for her father: Was he happy? Cignetti, who had just won his first Division I playoff game as a head coach, had a characteristically blunt response: No."
"Fast-forward six years, Cignetti has now led Indiana to its first national title in school history, erasing decades of football futility. So, given Natalie's 2019 post had resurfaced in the build-up to the championship, she figured it was the right time to ask her father the same question. "So.... are you happy?" she wrote in a text message to Cignetti. His answer? Yes, with seven double-exclamation-mark emojis added on for emphasis."
Curt Cignetti led Indiana to its first national football title, defeating Miami 27-21 and ending decades of program futility. Cignetti has a prior playoff milestone from 2019 when his James Madison team beat Monmouth 66-21 in an FCS playoff opener; that win marked his first Division I playoff victory as a head coach. His daughter Natalie referenced that moment and texted him, "So.... are you happy?" after the championship. Cignetti replied Yes with seven double-exclamation-mark emojis. The championship win produced a visible smile from the usually stoic coach and confirmed his elation.
Read at www.espn.com
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