BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - "This is a good day in Bloomington, Indiana," Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said Friday to kick off Indiana football head coach Curt CIgnetti's introductory press conference.
What makes it a good day in Bloomington? Indiana football got its guy. The Hoosiers went out onto the coaching market in search of their 30th head coach in program history and landed their first choice, Curt Cignetti.
Contrary to Indiana -- a football program who became the first Division I football program to 700 losses during the 2022 season -- the Hoosiers' new head football coach is a winner.
Everywhere Cignetti has gone, success has followed. Across his 13 seasons of experience as a head coach, the now 62-year old has never finished a season with a losing record and he doesn't intend to make the 2024 season his first.
In his six seasons as the head coach at Indiana University Pennsylvania, Cignetti led the Crimson Hawks to a 53-17 record. Before taking the head coaching job at James Madison, Cignetti led Elon to a 14-9 record during his two seasons with the Phoenix. Cignetti had even more success when he took over at James Madison, compiling a 52-9 record in four seasons with the Dukes.
When Whitten asked Cignetti what his secret was to continuous success everywhere he's been, Cignetti's response was simple, "I wage a tenacious battle against complacency."
Cignetti doubled down on that mindset on Friday in his first appearance in front of the Indiana media.
"There will be no self-imposed limitations on what we can accomplish (at Indiana)," Cignetti said. "It will be a day-by-day process that is hinged on being focused on the present moment and improving as much daily as possible to put yourself in the best position tomorrow."
Limitations have long been placed upon the Indiana football program. Whether they have been self imposed limitations or in more recent years financial limitations in the current age of NIL, the Indiana football program is a perennial loser.
The only way to change how Indiana football, a program with three winning seasons in the 21st century, is viewed both inside and out is to makes wholesale changes to the program's identity.
"We're going to change the culture, the mindset, the expectation level, and improve the brand of Indiana Hoosier football," Cignetti said. "Making sure complacency isn't setting in on your organization on Sunday after a big win. That by Wednesday you'd better know in your mind, my mind, I've got it right. I got everybody right where I want them."
It's one thing for the team's head coach to say that and possess that mindset, but that's not enough. For a power conference program to enjoy success, the players have to buy into what the head coach and the program is selling.
Cignetti knows the switch won't flip overnight, he knows it's going to take time to get those in and around the Indiana football program to jump on board with him.
"It's a process, and it's a way you go about doing things," Cignetti said. "It's a standard. It's an expectation. It's accountability. It's discipline, commitment, toughness, work ethic, pride. It's wanting to be great versus wanting to be normal."
"Normal kind of equals average," Cignetti continued. "Average is okay. There's no problem with average except in my business. In 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."
Cignetti knows he's got a challenge ahead of him to turn around one of the losingest college football programs in the country, but if there's one thing we've all already learned about 'Coach Cig,' it's that he doesn't back down from challenges.
If he was afraid of the challenges that taking over the Indiana football program presents, he wouldn't have taken the job in the first place.
Cignetti is here and he's ready to "wage a tenacious battle against complacency" in an effort to turn Indiana football from a loser into a winner.
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