What did James Madison coach Curt Cignetti learn from Alabama football coach Nick Saban?

James Madison coach Curt Cignetti enters this season with four decades of coaching experience. Before he became a head coach in 2011, he learned from Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

At Sun Belt Football Media Days on Tuesday in New Orleans, Cignetti remembered the biggest lesson he learned from his former boss. Cignetti was part of Saban's original coaching staff at Alabama, coaching wide receivers and serving as recruiting coordinator from 2007-10.

"After year one, I had learned more from coach (Saban) about running a program: what to do, what not to do, how to do it, leadership, management, daily organization, how to recruit, how to practice, how to manage your team, how to manage your staff, the messaging component – really just learned an awful lot from him," Cignetti said. "I think (assistants under Saban who became head coaches) take quite a bit from what we learned, and then we tweak it to our personality, our situation or a specific time in football. So obviously, it was a real valuable experience."

Cignetti helped the Crimson Tide to three top-five recruiting class from 2008 to 2010 that featured Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram Jr., Julio Jones and Dont'a Hightower.

James Madison hired Cignetti in 2019 and has gone 33-5 under his leadership. He led the Dukes to three-consecutive conference championships in the CAA and helped them make the FCS football championship in 2019 and the semifinals in 2020 and 2021.

Saban knew Cignetti when he coached defensive backs at West Virginia in 1978 and 1979 under Cignetti's father, Frank Cignetti Sr. Curt was a high school player when he met Saban. 

MAKING HISTORY?:Why Alabama QB Bryce Young's shot at history-making Heisman has key advantage | Goodbread

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS:Not supposed to happen: Metchie battles cancer instead of fighting for NFL spot| Goodbread

FOR SUBSCRIBERS:Here are the 25 must-see Alabama athletes to watch across all sports in 2022-23

James Madison joins the Sun Belt Conference this season, becoming an FBS program for the first time. The Sun Belt Conference football preseason poll has the Dukes finishing in second-to-last in the East Division. Cignetti predicts James Madison can be on top of the Sun Belt, but admits it will take some time.

"We've had a championship culture and a great team mindset –– mindset of a champion," Cignetti said. "We've been a tough, physical, relentless football team. The kind of team people hate to face, and I see these guys stepping it up to another level."

Derrian Carter is a sports reporting intern for the Tuscaloosa News. Contact him at DCarter@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @DerrianCarter00.