Curt Cignetti wasting no time in navigating first Indiana offseason
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – New Indiana football head coach Curt CIgnetti's honeymoon phase is over. The work has already begun.
Over the weekend, Cignetti was introduced as the 30th head football coach of Indiana's program. Taking stock of his situation, he inherited a team that has numerous players in the transfer portal and a number of prospective recruits who were suddenly unsure of their future.
But that's to be expected. In a constantly evolving landscape, coaches must adapt and be nimble, especially in terms of recruiting. But the philosophy regarding recruiting and what to expect for Cignetti and staff is pretty cut and dry.
"I'm more into production than potential," Cignetti said. "I'm a little old fashioned. I'll look at the high school transcript and see how many absences a guy has. We want good students who have strong habits because it's all about choices and decisions. Life, you got freedom of choice but not freedom of consequence. First you form your habits, then your habits form you."
That means an extensive process of doing your homework to determine the right potential fits for a program begins right away. Cignetti and company did so over the weekend, as some recruits who were previously Indiana pledges re-opened their recruiting to potential suitors while others were "re-offered" and affirmed their commitment to Cignetti and his new staff.
Recruits such as Javier Etheridge, Timothy Carpenter and Judah Jenkins – all once former Indiana commits – are now searching for a new home in the 2024 class. But Michigan tight end prospect Brody Kosin was among those who were given the opportunity to stay on with the Hoosiers.
It's an evaluation process that signals intent and lends insight into the types of players Cignetti looks to bring to his program. It's brought success wherever Cignetti has been – whether it be at JMU, Clearly, there's some proof the justify it.
Another aspect of the transition process to take note of is a number of recruits who could follow the Cignetti from Harrisonburg to Bloomington. It helps that much of the Dukes' coaching staff appears to be joining Cignetti with the Hoosiers' rapidly coming-together program. Recruits such as Albert Mendoza, Daniel Ndukwe and Jah Jah Boyd, two former JMU pledges who have since reopened their commitment after Cignetti made the move, have picked up Indiana offers.
"It's recruiting, development, retention, and having a blueprint and plan, hiring good people, recruiting the right kind of guys and improving them on a daily basis," Cignetti said. "We're process-oriented. Really, it's not going to change much from what we did at JMU and what we did at Elon or at Alabama."
Of course, the transfer portal is a big part of that as well. Having opened at midnight on Monday, the Hoosiers must be active in the market to seek immediate needs for the next iteration of Indiana football's on-field outfit.
Of note, former JMU quarterback Jordan McCloud entered the transfer portal and has been labeled a name to watch for the Hoosier program. The fit is obvious – the Sun Belt's 2023 Conference Player of the Year, familiarity in the system that will retain every single aspect of the offensive scheme and design with Mike Shanahan and Tino Sunseri making the trip over as well, and proven production.
Quarterback development was one of the pointed reasons Cignetti was the eventual Indiana hire, as was an ability to navigate the Hoosiers' through a modern offseason as the CEO of the program. Being proficient in the transfer portal is one of the numerous ways to do so.
"I think everyone's turning over at least 30 percent of their roster nowadays," Cignetti said. "It's NFL free agency. You got to thrive in the portal. We're gonna thrive in the portal."
Later in the day, at the podium in Indiana's team room, the same was still true.
"If you don't (utilize the portal), you've got not chance, but you build it with high school guys," Cignetti said.
That doesn't involve recruiting stars or evaluations from outside sources. Those aren't of interest to the new regime. Seeking out prospects based purely on rating isn't the way the Hoosiers will operate.
"There's a lot of good players out there, a lot of guys that can be successful," Cignetti said. "Remember it's recruiting and development. You've got to develop them now."
It's been a whirlwind first few days on the job, but that's the way Cignetti likes it. The task he undertakes at Indiana is immense, but not unlike situations he's thrived in before. This is how he operates – the only way he's ever known how – and the results that have tagged along with it are all the justification required.
Indiana invested in the process. Cignetti is already hard at work creating a return.
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