Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti is One of College Football's Most Quotable Coaches

By Andy Anders on November 19, 2024 at 8:35 am
Curt Cignetti
Trevor Ruszkowski – Imagn Images
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Curt Cignetti has walked the walk at Indiana, which is good because he's definitely talked a lot of talk.

From his first time addressing Hoosier fans at a basketball game the same day he was hired to telling prospects to “Google me,” Cignetti's confidence and charisma have injected desperately needed juice into Indiana's football program.

Some might find him brash, some might roll their eyes, but there's no doubting Cignetti's belief in himself and his team. Indiana's fanbase is undoubtedly here for it, especially now that he's led the Hoosiers to their first 10-win campaign in school history with a 10-0 start to his first season.

As Indiana prepares to bring its unbeaten record to the Shoe this weekend, we’re taking a look back at some of the bold statements he's made, as the 63-year-old Cignetti has burst onto the scene as one of the top head coaching personalities in college football.

December 1st at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

“I've never taken a backseat to anybody and don't plan on starting now. Purdue sucks. But so do Michigan and Ohio State.”

There's an eerie resemblance between this speech and Jim Tressel's famous claim at a basketball game in 2001 that Ohio State fans would be "proud" of their football players "in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the football field."

Tressel's remarks were manna from heaven for a malaised fanbase scarred by John Cooper's 2-10-1 record against Michigan, especially in hindsight after the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines on the road in 2001. Indiana fans have known almost nothing but malaise before this season. Former head coach Tom Allen had solid seasons in 2019 and 2020 to build hype only to go a combined 9-27 in his final three campaigns in Bloomington. From 1994 through 2023, the Hoosiers had one eight-win season.

Cignetti was expected to call out Purdue, Indiana's beatable rival. But to immediately challenge Michigan and Ohio State – the first of which he's already beaten this year – immediately set a tone of coach striving for more at a program resigned to its mid-at-best fate year in and year out.

December 1st at His Introductory Press Conference

“Normal kind of equals average. Average is okay. There's no problem with average except in my business. My business, average is the enemy, and to be great, you've got to have special focus, special commitment, special preparation, and discipline and the ability to say no to some things.”

Urban Meyer famously said "Why be around average?" during his first offseason at Ohio State. Cignetti has tried to implement the same mentality of striving for "special" at Indiana.

December 20th at Early Signing Period Press Conference

“It's pretty simple, I win. Google me.”

The above is what Cignetti said is his message to recruits or transfers when selling his program. It seems to have worked as Indiana signed one of the most productive transfer portal classes in the country this offseason, with 16 of its 22 starters being transfers for the 10-0 squad. 

July 25th at Big Ten Media Days

“I've kind of had to speak a big game taking over a job like this because we had to wake some people up and create some excitement, and after all, this is the entertainment business too.”

There's a level of self-awareness to Cignetti's bolder statements. He wants the attention and excitement of Indiana fans and more than other coaches, he's willing to recognize that there's showmanship that comes with playing football. His – some may call it cocky – persona is part of that.

“When you compete you want to be the best. You can't put self-imposed limitations. Oh, if we go to a bowl it's a great year. Bullshit. That ain't the goal. The goal is to be the best.”

Cignetti doubled down on his call out of Ohio State and Michigan because he wants Indiana to rise the ranks to that caliber of program. As crazy as it sounds, his desire was to compete for national titles with the Hoosiers, and he was willing to push that envelope in year one. Sure, Indiana plays its first ranked opponent of the season this Saturday, but regardless the team is in a great position to make the College Football Playoff, unthinkable to most before the season.

“I knew when we came in when we started interviewing the old players that we needed a lot of new faces and fortunately they did me a favor by leaving.”

Cignetti doesn't pull any punches, and he didn't when talking about all the transfer portal attrition and addition as he took over at Indiana.

September 27th in a Letter to Indiana Students

“When the clock hits zero and we're 5-0, I want you to be there to celebrate a historic win with us. The tailgates can wait. The parties can wait. If you need to study, that can wait too.”

Cignetti wanted a packed student section for Indiana's win over Maryland on September 28th, and as such emailed an open letter to Hoosier students calling for them to put off tailgating, partying and even studying to root the team on. One can see why he's appealed so well to Indiana fans.

October 16th on the Pat McAfee Show

“We got to the hotel at about 8 o'clock at night, ate our meal, went to bed, woke up, played at 3:30, kicked their ass and came home.”– Curt Cignetti on Indiana's win at UCLA

Indiana has been one of only a few East Coast teams to travel to the West Coast and find success this year, trouncing UCLA 42-13 in the Rose Bowl. Cignetti's approach to long-distance travel is simple: Spend as little time as possible in the new location and get the job done.

October 16th on the Andy & Ari Podcast

I'm not even going to pull a quote or add more context to this one, it's just a funny moment.

November 9th After Beating Michigan

“What are we 10-0? ... Not bad.”

November 16th After Signing a Contract Extension

"We're the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?"

Cignetti signed an eight-year contract extension with Indiana that carries an average annual value of $8 million with an additional $1 million retention bonus each year. Cignetti said that after talking to both his wife and his agent, Bloomington was the place he wanted to be for the long haul. He believes he can build and sustain a winner.

November 18th in Ohio State Week Press Conference

“I’m confident in our team that we will prep well this week, play well, play with poise and play our game. Excited about the opportunity.”

For all the confident, even brash things Cignetti has said before and during this season, he wasn't willing to give Ohio State any bulletin board material at his press conference on Monday. He knows the challenge at hand, much bigger than any Indiana has fielded this year. If his team can at least keep things relatively close, though, it will be validation of all that's been accomplished this year. A win and suddenly the Hoosiers catapult into the national title conversation.

It's up to the Buckeyes to ensure that doesn't happen.

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