‘Something’s got to give and it wasn’t going to be me’: Curt Cignetti has won at every stop. He doesn’t expect that to change with Indiana football

Change the culture.

Change the brand.

Change the national perception.

Since Curt Cignetti took over the program, he has made it his mission to change the narrative surrounding Indiana Football.

From fiery press conferences to calling out the Big Ten powerhouses in front of the Indiana faithful, Cignetti has begun to build momentum. A strong transfer portal class mixed with a talented recruiting class has led to some excitement surrounding the program as he takes on his newest challenge.

“I’m at a place where a lot of people say they can’t get it done. I love that kind of challenge,” Cignetti said during his appearance on Next Up with Adam Breneman. “You only grow when you’re uncomfortable. I think this is such a great challenge that gets me excited because it’s so doable.”

This challenge was not one Cignetti expected to take on. He shared in the interview that he fully expected to finish his coaching career with James Madison.

The changing landscape of college football made Indiana an intriguing destination for him. Cignetti saw the influence and power that the Big 10 and the SEC were gaining in this new era of college football as the two conferences have led the way adding top programs during realignment.

Despite the influence the Big Ten garners, Indiana football has struggled to find success on the field for much of its history. Cignetti believes

“With the proper commitment [Indiana football] can be successful with the right leadership and the right people,” Cignetti said.

Being a state college, Cignetti sees no reason why Indiana can’t be successful on the field.

With the backing of the leaders of the university and the athletic department, Cignetti has been able to make big changes to the program. That support has included a significant amount of financial resources in the NIL department.

“It’s really good. It’s a lot more than what I was promised,” Cignetti said about the school’s NIL support.

With the resources he’s been allotted, he has been able to completely rebuild the roster.

Cignetti has added over 20 players in the transfer portal including a ton of guys from his former school, James Madison.

“We were able to add a pretty significant nucleus from where I had come from,” he said. “Now that was not planned cause we lost very few guys in the portal when I was there.”

Those guys being familiar with his expectations has helped Cignetti instill the culture he is trying to build here in Bloomington.

Long days and late nights during the transfer portal and the offseason were just a part of the process, but Cignetti has seen his work pay off.

“The talent on the roster and the culture in the program are significantly different than it was when I stepped on campus,” he said.

Cignetti’s process has worked everywhere he’s coached. His standards are what have made him so successful.

Holding both coaches and players accountable is a big part of the standard he sets every day.

“Everything we do we have high standards and expectations. The standards can never be compromised,” he said. “There has to be accountability throughout the entire organization because 95% of it is really between the ears.”

It is still early in the process, yet he is extremely confident in his ability to turn the program around.

This is also not the first time he’s come to a struggling program.

The year before he took over at Elon they finished 2-9. His first year with them, they finished 8-4.

At James Madison, it was a little different. The team finished 9-4 but lost their head coach to a bigger job. Cignetti’s first year there, they improved to 14-2.

“You look at my history and a lot of the assistant coaches have been with me the whole time we win and [Indiana’s history] is about the opposite. So something’s got to give and it wasn’t going to be me,” he said.

Confidence has never been an issue for Cignetti. The belief he has in himself and his coaching staff is obvious.

Yet, he recognizes the challenges that come in this era of football. He understands that fanbases won’t be as patient today as they would be four years ago.

With NIL and the transfer portal, there is the expectation to win immediately at a new job that wasn’t there in the past.

“I think football’s really changed. Back in the old days guys would get four to six-year contracts and by year three would need to be here,” Cignetti said. “You got to win every year nowadays.”

Cignetti does not shy away from high expectations. He does the opposite. He raises them every chance he gets.

That sometimes means calling out Ohio State and Michigan at a basketball game in Assembly Hall. Other times it’s the way he answers a simple question from a reporter.

It’s clear that he is not scared of the moment heading into his first season with the program.

“We’re not there yet, but nobody in America is there yet because everybody in America has got a new roster to some degree nowadays,” Cignetti said. “I like the direction we’re headed and really excited about the future.”

The early mornings and long nights he works are just a small sacrifice for the success he hopes to see. Under former Alabama coach Nick Saban, he saw what it takes to be successful at the highest level.

“If you want to be normal that’s fine, but as the guy down in Tuscaloosa used to say, ‘Normal equals average. If you want to be great you have to do special things to be great.'”