Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti, who was hired in late November, has wasted absolutely no time putting his stamp on the program.
Just days after being named the school’s new coach, Cignetti took the court at Assembly Hall and called out several of Indiana’s rival schools, drawing a large ovation from the crowd.
“Hey look, I’m super fired up about this opportunity,” Cignetti said. “I’ve never taken a back seat to anybody and don’t plan on starting now. Purdue sucks … but so does Michigan and Ohio State. Go IU!”
It was a bold strategy and displayed a level of confidence bordering on egotism. But Cignetti wasn’t done there and has carried that conviction over into his recruitment approach.
On Wednesday, Cignetti put together his first recruitment class, adding a total of 24 players including eight from the transfer portal. Asked at the signing day news conference what his recruitment approach was, Cignetti suggested that his resume does all the talking.
“It’s pretty simple: I win. Google me,” Cignetti said, via the Indianapolis Star.
That chest-thumping may be off-putting for some, but to his credit, Cignetti is telling the truth. In 13 seasons as a college coach, he’s never compiled a losing record. Cignetti is 119-35 in his career and he expects that trend to continue at Indiana.
“The administration here, they want football to win,” Cignetti said. “So I’ve probably got a couple things the other coaches didn’t, and they’ve got a guy who knows how to win. It’s pretty simple.”
This will endear Cignetti to the Hoosier faithful but only so long as the play backs up his mouth. If things spiral in Indiana, this schtick will wear thin quick, fast and in a hurry.
