MIAMI — Before Curt Cignetti became a sensation in college football, before he transformed a struggling program into an undefeated powerhouse, he was carving out his career in the shadows of the Football Championship Subdivision, the less heralded tier of Division I. His big break came when Jeff Bourne and James Madison University (JMU) decided to take a chance on him.

Bourne had been keeping tabs on Cignetti since his time at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where he achieved an impressive 53-17 record over six seasons. Cignetti then moved on to the Football Championship Subdivision with Elon, where he continued to attract attention. However, it was during the 2018 season that the James Madison athletic director got a firsthand look at Cignetti’s coaching prowess, which ultimately solidified Bourne’s conviction that Cignetti was the right choice for JMU.

Recounting the pivotal moment, Bourne said, “They came to Harrisonburg to play us, and we had a really good football team. We were projected to win, but they came to Harrisonburg and just whipped us,” he shared in a phone interview with The Post over the weekend. At the time, Cignetti was preparing top-seeded Indiana for the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium against No. 10 Miami. “It gave me a chance to watch what he’d done, and then to watch him on the field and how he coached. I was so impressed. I thought he could do a great job at JMU one day if he ever decided to make a change.”

“They came to Harrisonburg to play us, and we had a really good football team. We were projected to win, but they came to Harrisonburg and just whipped us,” Bourne told The Post in a phone interview over the weekend as Cignetti was preparing top-seeded Indiana for Monday night’s national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium against No. 10 Miami. “It gave me a chance to watch what he’d done, and then to watch him on the field and how he coached. I was so impressed. I thought he could do a great job at JMU one day if he ever decided to make a change.”