Immediate results are far from guaranteed for coaches in their debut campaigns, though. For every Cignetti, there is a Jeff Lebby, who oversaw a one-win first half of the year at Mississippi State. That is not to say that slow starts indicate lost causes, but rather it is a sign that there exists heaps of work to be done in rebuilding a program.

Curt Cignetti doesn't hold back when it comes to his personal success and belief in his program. Michael Cohen details how Indiana's first-year coach has turned IU into a winner and one of the best stories in college football.