The fact that Indiana will offer Cig more money and an extension is a given. But the same goes goes for Rhule at Lincoln too.Whether we think it'd be dumb is irrelevant. They want him. Their media have insider sources just like ours do and it's being reported everywhere.
Kraft and Rhule are very tight and both have said so publicly. Kraft was his AD when he was head coach at Temple. Rhule is a Pennsylvania guy, former player, met his wife there, fan since birth in his own words. If I had to guess there's about a zero percent chance an east coaster lady is liking living in a middle of nowhere shithole like Lincoln nebraska no matter what Rhule says.
Cignetti???
He's 64 and his contract for $8 point something million runs past retirement age. Why on earth at that age would he want to uproot again and go work for a school that everyone knows is going to fire you if you don't make the playoffs in the next two years, with media asking you after a single loss if you feel like your job's in danger, blah blah blah?? Is that worth $2 million extra a year or whatever it is? At age 40 hell yes it is. But at 64 I'm sorry, you're clock is starting to run out on the added benefit it would give you in the time you have left.
At Indiana he's a rock star and like Matt Campbell they'll still love him to death no matter what the record is because a 10-2 year and a victory against Oregon buys you a whole lot more love and affection than it does at Penn State.
He also knows that James Franklin getting fired just punched his ticket to a nice, fat restructuring of his own contract. If you guys think he and his agent haven't had a phone conference yet about how they're going to subtly hint that Cignetti is a hot commodity who, even though he loves Indiana, is deserving of a restructure with higher pay due to market value, you're nuts.
The age difference between Rhule and Cig is interesting, and can be looked at either way. Probably makes Cig less interesting from a Penn St. perspective, but from Cig's perspective he may look at his situation as 1) he'll be a hero forever at Indiana if he leaves after this season; and 2) he has a better chance to win a natty in a short time period at Penn St. than he would at Indiana.