Big Ten media day notebook: Curt Cignetti “looking to improve” on success in year two

Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti addressed the media in the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon as part of Big Ten Football media day.

The 15-minute segment began with Cignetti giving a brief opening statement before breaking into an abbreviated question-and-answer session. Later in the afternoon, Cignetti returned to a smaller stage to speak in more depth ahead of his second season at the helm in Bloomington.

A brief reflection on last season, scheduling talk

Cignetti refused to hold back punches in his first Big Ten media day last July, creating a stir weeks before his first Indiana team took the field. Then a first-year coach in Bloomington, Cignetti took a jab at the fact that his team was picked second to last, citing his history of exceeding expectations.

Though Tuesday’s session was not nearly as brash as last year, Cignetti remained unafraid to humbly brag about the success that his program had last year.

“Year one is in the books. 126 years of Indiana football. Best season in Indiana history. No. 1 out of 126,” Cignetti said. “With the 10-0 start, the staff holds the distinction of being the only staff in NCAA history to start the season 10-0 at two different schools and did it in successive seasons back-to-back.”

When asked about canceling a future home-and-home series with Virginia, Cignetti was swift to explain himself by throwing shade towards the scheduling of the SEC programs, pointing out that he would “just adopt SEC scheduling philosophy,” and focus on the nine conference games.

Cignetti went on to explain that a dozen SEC teams play the same three buy games as Indiana does, all while playing one less conference game than the Big Ten.

Furthermore, Cignetti pushed for a play-in game format during the conference championship weekend that would guarantee at least four automatic qualifiers would represent the conference in the College Football Playoff.

Focus remains on the season ahead

In addition to his usual brash attitude, Cignetti remained steadfast in keeping his focus on the upcoming season, rather than the one that had just passed.

Avoiding complacency has been Cignetti’s motto since the accolades began to pile on last season. The Hoosier head coach proclaimed that he is “a watchdog for complacency,” hoping that it would translate to his team.

“We’re not looking to sustain it. We’re looking to improve it,” Cignetti said. “The way you do that is by having the right people on the bus, upstairs in the coaches’ offices, downstairs in the locker room; having a blueprint plan and process.”

Cignetti continued with his traditional tropes about eliminating “noise and clutter” and staying “fast, physical, and relentless” throughout the season.

Confidence in leadership

Along with the three student-athletes he brought with him to Las Vegas this week, Cignetti noted that he had “10 or 12 guys” who have potential to be leaders on the team.

Cignetti named Notre Dame transfer center Pat Coogan and returning tackle Carter Smith as a pair of the leaders.

“You win with people because the season is not a sprint. It’s a marathon,” Cignetti said. “You got to be able to handle success. You’ve got to be able to handle failure. You’ve got to do the right things off the field.”

NIL and Memorial Stadium wishlist

In both of his availabilities, Cignetti was asked about NIL and his thoughts on the landscape of college football.

Cignetti thanked IU President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson for their commitment to his program. On top of that, the second-year coach made clear his personal goals of being “in the top one-third of the conference when it comes to resources in all areas that are critical to program success.”

As part of his vision for program success, Cignetti outlined what he wants to see around Memorial Stadium.

“Down the road, that stadium is going to look a lot different,” Cignetti proclaimed. “And before I retire, that press box has to come down.”

Later in the day, Cignetti informed those in the breakout session that one of his players had been offered $1.5 million to transfer during the offseason, citing tampering as a significant factor in the situation.

“There’s a big difference between an inadvertent phone call and calling a guy multiple times this spring offering $1.5 million,” Cignetti said. “Which I had happen multiple times this spring.”

Injury Updates

Cignetti revealed positive injury updates surrounding offensive lineman Drew Evans and Northern Illinois transfer cornerback Amariyun Knighten.

Evans tore his achilles during practice ahead of Indiana’s November showdown with Michigan, but Cignetti claimed that Evans will be a “full go” during fall camp, but will be “managed” throughout. His return will bolster an already strong offensive line.

Knighten went down with an undisclosed injury in the spring, but Cignetti told reporters that he will also be cleared for fall camp, boosting the Indiana secondary as a result.

The Hoosiers begin fall camp next week ahead of their season-opener against Old Dominion on August 30th.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

Category: Football

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