WEBVTT NOTE Created by CaptionSync from Automatic Sync Technologies www.automaticsync.com 00:00:00.006 --> 00:00:01.096 align:middle [ Music ] 00:00:01.096 --> 00:00:04.316 align:middle >> [Narrator:] Looking for fascinating conversations with industry thought leaders? 00:00:04.316 --> 00:00:10.056 align:middle Want to get the inside scoop from local legends? 00:00:10.056 --> 00:00:17.666 align:middle Interested in the stories behind the stories from celebrated visionaries? 00:00:17.886 --> 00:00:20.996 align:middle This is your home for the best our university has to offer. 00:00:22.346 --> 00:00:24.036 align:middle Welcome to We Are IU. 00:00:25.556 --> 00:00:28.636 align:middle Hello everyone. 00:00:28.796 --> 00:00:34.406 align:middle I'm JD Denny, editor of the IU Alumni Magazine, representing the IU Alumni Association 00:00:34.496 --> 00:00:38.876 align:middle and the IU Foundation, and I'm here with another episode of We Are IU. 00:00:39.076 --> 00:00:42.866 align:middle Today we're joined by Curt Cignetti, head coach of the Hoosier football team. 00:00:43.286 --> 00:00:45.336 align:middle Coach Cignetti, thank you for being here. 00:00:45.336 --> 00:00:48.296 align:middle I'm really excited and I'm looking forward to the chat. 00:00:48.296 --> 00:00:48.756 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Pleasure. 00:00:49.316 --> 00:00:49.656 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] Great. 00:00:49.946 --> 00:00:51.486 align:middle Well, maybe we could start with our audience. 00:00:51.586 --> 00:00:56.346 align:middle We're going to be talking to alumni, and they are some of the most loyal and committed fans. 00:00:57.076 --> 00:01:00.506 align:middle What kind of impact does their energy and support have on the program? 00:01:00.726 --> 00:01:03.756 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Let's face it, there's been some lean times here in football, right? 00:01:04.666 --> 00:01:12.546 align:middle And once our people got a taste, it was over the top, and I can't even explain what that meant 00:01:12.546 --> 00:01:17.476 align:middle to our football team, to have a sold-out stadium, waving those towels, 00:01:17.476 --> 00:01:22.786 align:middle thousands outside that couldn't get in, college game day, big noon kickoff, and just so loud. 00:01:23.346 --> 00:01:27.806 align:middle And that - those are points, that's two touchdowns right there, without question. 00:01:28.506 --> 00:01:32.386 align:middle And to me that was the most gratifying part of the season, 00:01:32.986 --> 00:01:39.336 align:middle was seeing how the people packed the stadium, the source of pride at the university, 00:01:39.336 --> 00:01:44.856 align:middle the City of Bloomington, the State of Indiana, and our - you know, the national exposure 00:01:45.386 --> 00:01:47.326 align:middle that we received, which benefits the university. 00:01:47.996 --> 00:01:48.336 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] That's right. 00:01:48.336 --> 00:01:50.526 align:middle As an alum, I can personally say it was thrilling. 00:01:50.526 --> 00:01:54.696 align:middle It was thrilling to be in that stadium and watching you guys just roll. 00:01:54.696 --> 00:01:56.786 align:middle It was - it was just a - a great experience. 00:01:56.786 --> 00:01:58.266 align:middle So thank you, and thank you to the team. 00:01:58.516 --> 00:02:03.496 align:middle And I wonder if you could kind of reflect a little bit on 2024, and kind of spin it 00:02:03.496 --> 00:02:05.926 align:middle out into maybe a bit of a life lesson. 00:02:06.316 --> 00:02:11.926 align:middle Long and great success winning games, season, individual plays. 00:02:12.476 --> 00:02:16.926 align:middle How do you kind of balance that success and wanting to kind of revel in that 00:02:16.926 --> 00:02:18.416 align:middle with staying focused on the goal? 00:02:19.556 --> 00:02:22.336 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Well, being focused on the goal is the key to the drill. 00:02:22.336 --> 00:02:25.066 align:middle And you've got to have a blueprint and a plan. 00:02:25.066 --> 00:02:28.756 align:middle You've got to have high standards, expectations, accountability throughout your organization. 00:02:28.756 --> 00:02:32.186 align:middle You've got to have the right people on your staff, and the right people in the locker room, 00:02:32.186 --> 00:02:34.966 align:middle and the leader's job is to create an environment where everybody can thrive. 00:02:35.246 --> 00:02:38.446 align:middle You've got to be organized and structured in everything you do, and efficient. 00:02:39.246 --> 00:02:44.166 align:middle And we - we've had a great culture for a long time, and you know, we're always looking 00:02:44.166 --> 00:02:47.016 align:middle for better ways, but we know what we're doing. 00:02:47.016 --> 00:02:48.846 align:middle And so, was I surprised? 00:02:48.846 --> 00:02:50.446 align:middle No, I was not surprised. 00:02:50.786 --> 00:02:55.386 align:middle College football, college athletics is all about recruiting, development, and retention. 00:02:55.816 --> 00:03:00.416 align:middle And development is a huge piece of it, what goes on in the strength and conditioning program, 00:03:00.816 --> 00:03:04.376 align:middle and then the football part, the meeting room, the practice field, and how we play the game. 00:03:04.936 --> 00:03:09.036 align:middle So I felt really good about what we got done my first month here, because we had a lot of guys 00:03:09.036 --> 00:03:13.816 align:middle that had gone in transfer portal, and we were down under 40 scholarships at one point. 00:03:14.396 --> 00:03:20.286 align:middle But we brought 22, I think, in - in three weeks, 32 total, 10 more in the spring. 00:03:20.716 --> 00:03:28.336 align:middle I knew we flipped the roster after 21 days here, and - and then process just took care of itself. 00:03:28.336 --> 00:03:33.396 align:middle But really the only expectation for a student athlete in this program is be 00:03:33.396 --> 00:03:37.756 align:middle where you're supposed to be and do your best, and the process will take care of itself. 00:03:37.756 --> 00:03:43.446 align:middle And so the focus is always on improvement, and I think in business and in life, you know, 00:03:43.446 --> 00:03:45.156 align:middle you've got to be committed, disciplined, 00:03:45.156 --> 00:03:47.566 align:middle have a great work ethic, keep your eye on the bull's eye. 00:03:48.296 --> 00:03:55.766 align:middle And consistency, day in, day out consistency, is so important, and being able to handle success 00:03:55.766 --> 00:03:57.556 align:middle and failure, and being persistent. 00:03:58.106 --> 00:04:03.326 align:middle And you know, we have a relentless mindset and an identity 00:04:03.326 --> 00:04:07.006 align:middle as a football team, which takes time to develop. 00:04:07.156 --> 00:04:09.206 align:middle Every year you've got to start over again. 00:04:09.266 --> 00:04:11.396 align:middle You've got to rebuild the house from the foundation up, 00:04:12.166 --> 00:04:15.736 align:middle and that's what we're currently doing now with our summer conditioning program. 00:04:15.736 --> 00:04:19.386 align:middle We'd been through winter, we'd been through spring ball, now we're into summer. 00:04:19.936 --> 00:04:25.066 align:middle And as - as the head coach, the leader, I've always got anxiety about certain elements 00:04:25.066 --> 00:04:28.186 align:middle of our football team, every single year, okay? 00:04:28.466 --> 00:04:32.126 align:middle But we go out there, and we're better in fall camp than we were in spring ball, 00:04:32.126 --> 00:04:36.566 align:middle and we build on our successes, and you know the kids play the game the way we want them 00:04:36.566 --> 00:04:39.096 align:middle to play the game, and the results speak for themselves. 00:04:39.746 --> 00:04:40.406 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] Absolutely. 00:04:40.406 --> 00:04:41.146 align:middle Thank you for that. 00:04:41.206 --> 00:04:44.956 align:middle Useful, for sure, and I - I might stick with philosophy a little bit, 00:04:44.956 --> 00:04:49.056 align:middle and I'm sure it's different for every player, but when you talk about continuous improvement, 00:04:49.056 --> 00:04:55.576 align:middle and just playing up to potential, are there some techniques, you know, kind of approaches 00:04:55.576 --> 00:05:00.006 align:middle that you might take, generally speaking, about how you elicit that from your players. 00:05:00.626 --> 00:05:03.166 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Well, you know, I think it all begins 00:05:03.166 --> 00:05:06.356 align:middle with the people you - you bring into your program. 00:05:07.546 --> 00:05:10.286 align:middle And you know, I sign off on everybody that enters this program. 00:05:10.476 --> 00:05:14.086 align:middle What coach, player support personnel, you've got to have the right kind of people 00:05:14.846 --> 00:05:19.696 align:middle that are goal-oriented, can buy into a team concept, and understand what a commitment is, 00:05:19.696 --> 00:05:23.656 align:middle and discipline, and they've got to be coachable and moldable, and they can't be selfish. 00:05:24.526 --> 00:05:27.836 align:middle So you got the right people, and you've got a blueprint and a plan, 00:05:27.836 --> 00:05:30.916 align:middle and you've got high standards, and everybody understands the standards, 00:05:30.916 --> 00:05:32.566 align:middle because you've got good leadership. 00:05:32.566 --> 00:05:36.276 align:middle You've had a history of success, so you've developed leaders in your program, 00:05:36.746 --> 00:05:40.026 align:middle and the other ones sort of catch up and meet the bar, right? 00:05:40.386 --> 00:05:45.326 align:middle And that creates a culture in terms of how you do things and what your expectations are. 00:05:45.946 --> 00:05:46.456 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] That's great. 00:05:46.946 --> 00:05:52.066 align:middle You know, you've said that your father, a big influence when it comes to football and life, 00:05:52.126 --> 00:05:55.996 align:middle could you talk about the influence he's had on that approach, that philosophy that you employ? 00:05:56.666 --> 00:05:59.296 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Well, you know, my dad, College Football Hall of Fame, 00:05:59.466 --> 00:06:02.206 align:middle I knew in third grade I wanted to coach. 00:06:02.286 --> 00:06:03.346 align:middle I was the oldest of four. 00:06:03.786 --> 00:06:06.356 align:middle You know, oldest always has it a little toughest, but - 00:06:06.356 --> 00:06:09.126 align:middle but my dad was a great leader, role model. 00:06:09.126 --> 00:06:10.816 align:middle He stood for all of the right things. 00:06:10.816 --> 00:06:11.966 align:middle He was tough. 00:06:11.966 --> 00:06:13.106 align:middle He had a great work ethic. 00:06:13.106 --> 00:06:14.356 align:middle He was very persistent. 00:06:14.756 --> 00:06:16.436 align:middle He was very confident. 00:06:16.936 --> 00:06:20.116 align:middle He never met a challenge or obstacle that he didn't believe 00:06:20.116 --> 00:06:21.786 align:middle that he would - would not overcome. 00:06:22.296 --> 00:06:24.146 align:middle I mean, they gave him his last rights twice. 00:06:24.146 --> 00:06:26.486 align:middle He had cancer, my senior year of high school. 00:06:26.486 --> 00:06:27.666 align:middle He was head coach at West Virginia. 00:06:27.666 --> 00:06:28.386 align:middle He beat that. 00:06:28.386 --> 00:06:32.116 align:middle He was the first person to beat that particular type of cancer. 00:06:32.856 --> 00:06:38.026 align:middle And that's who he was, and that rubbed off on me, and well, I never coached for my dad. 00:06:38.326 --> 00:06:44.256 align:middle And I played for him one year, but I - you know, I learned a lot about life from him. 00:06:44.256 --> 00:06:52.846 align:middle You know, he led by example, and he was very consistent in his behavior throughout the day. 00:06:52.846 --> 00:06:53.586 align:middle Day in, day out. 00:06:53.586 --> 00:06:54.416 align:middle Month in, month out. 00:06:55.226 --> 00:06:59.446 align:middle And so, tremendous influence on me, no question about it. 00:06:59.806 --> 00:07:01.716 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] You talked a little bit about the upcoming season. 00:07:01.716 --> 00:07:04.766 align:middle What were you most encouraged by, and what's - what are those areas 00:07:04.766 --> 00:07:06.166 align:middle that might be giving you a little anxiety? 00:07:06.986 --> 00:07:11.356 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Yeah, well, you know, it's process, and nowadays college football, 00:07:11.356 --> 00:07:13.466 align:middle it's a transfer portal, you've got a lot of new faces. 00:07:14.176 --> 00:07:20.686 align:middle So, you know, bringing these guys together, and getting them to assimilate and become cohesive, 00:07:20.686 --> 00:07:24.876 align:middle and develop that group work ethic takes some time. 00:07:24.876 --> 00:07:30.006 align:middle But you know, I like the way we finished spring ball, and I'm confident we'll have a good camp, 00:07:30.176 --> 00:07:32.796 align:middle and I mean, we've got the pieces, and now we've got 00:07:32.796 --> 00:07:35.976 align:middle to form the intangibles before we run out that tunnel for first game. 00:07:36.486 --> 00:07:38.756 align:middle We're building a program, we're strengthening a brand. 00:07:38.966 --> 00:07:40.326 align:middle We've got more steps to take. 00:07:40.356 --> 00:07:41.316 align:middle It takes everybody. 00:07:41.416 --> 00:07:46.746 align:middle It takes - takes me, the coaching staff, the players, the support people, the administration. 00:07:47.256 --> 00:07:51.576 align:middle Okay, the donors, you know, it costs - it takes money. 00:07:52.456 --> 00:07:55.606 align:middle It takes money, and support, and infrastructure. 00:07:56.146 --> 00:07:59.226 align:middle And the - the commitment that President Whitten 00:07:59.226 --> 00:08:02.326 align:middle and Scott Dolson have made to me has been just outstanding. 00:08:03.226 --> 00:08:06.866 align:middle But it's never enough, because - you know, this is the Big 10. 00:08:07.606 --> 00:08:10.976 align:middle We want to be the highest state, we want to beat Michigan and Oregon, Penn State. 00:08:10.976 --> 00:08:14.446 align:middle Our potential is unlimited, we've just got to get everybody on board. 00:08:14.656 --> 00:08:20.616 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] Another new thing coming up for the - the season in 2025, the mascot, the bison. 00:08:20.756 --> 00:08:21.156 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Yeah. 00:08:21.276 --> 00:08:23.196 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] We - we hear about it, saw about it. 00:08:23.196 --> 00:08:27.116 align:middle We've got little hints about it, so what's your take on - on the bison mascot? 00:08:27.216 --> 00:08:28.126 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] I like the bison. 00:08:28.846 --> 00:08:31.946 align:middle My kids were big bison advocates when I first got the job, 00:08:31.946 --> 00:08:35.296 align:middle and they starting seeing these pictures of the bison. 00:08:35.666 --> 00:08:40.066 align:middle And I think it's a great mascot, and I think it will be good, 00:08:40.066 --> 00:08:44.456 align:middle and I think the bottom line is we've got to have success on the field, and then when we do, 00:08:44.456 --> 00:08:45.836 align:middle everybody's going to rally around the bison. 00:08:46.446 --> 00:08:49.696 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] If I could get into it a little bit, you - your - your pregame, 00:08:49.696 --> 00:08:52.826 align:middle postgame routines, kind of take us through what that might look 00:08:52.826 --> 00:08:55.506 align:middle like on game day and other times. 00:08:55.506 --> 00:08:58.696 align:middle I know, for instance, you've got the recliner at home. 00:08:58.696 --> 00:08:59.926 align:middle Tell us a little bit about that. 00:09:00.356 --> 00:09:03.836 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Yeah, well, you know, the recliner doesn't match the furniture 00:09:03.836 --> 00:09:09.056 align:middle and really hasn't fit in any of our past three or four moves, but - and it was on its way 00:09:09.056 --> 00:09:11.806 align:middle out to summer until the Indianapolis started an article on it. 00:09:11.836 --> 00:09:12.876 align:middle Now it's untouchable. 00:09:13.296 --> 00:09:17.846 align:middle So it's 30 - I've been married 36 years, we've been married, and the recliner's 36 years old. 00:09:18.346 --> 00:09:25.106 align:middle And so, you know, it's part of us, but you know, there's a routine, obviously, 00:09:25.706 --> 00:09:30.996 align:middle and depending on what time kickoff is, you know, there's going to be a - a breakfast. 00:09:30.996 --> 00:09:36.006 align:middle There's going to be a coach's staff meeting here in the offices, 00:09:36.006 --> 00:09:39.486 align:middle or on the road in a conference room, kind of a checklist type meeting. 00:09:40.136 --> 00:09:44.256 align:middle There's going to be offense, defensive walkthrough after pregame meal. 00:09:44.256 --> 00:09:47.236 align:middle Pregame meal, three and a half hours before kickoff. 00:09:47.236 --> 00:09:52.196 align:middle And then get on the bus and come to the stadium, and then everybody has their own thing. 00:09:52.196 --> 00:09:58.456 align:middle You know, I get dressed and then go down to the coach's room and just sort of sit there 00:09:58.456 --> 00:10:02.936 align:middle in my own little world and, you know, I get nerved up a little bit before the game. 00:10:04.046 --> 00:10:07.686 align:middle Go out to pregame, and once that game starts, you got to be locked in. 00:10:08.676 --> 00:10:10.976 align:middle >> [JD Denny:] Coach Cignetti, thank you so much for your time. 00:10:10.976 --> 00:10:12.146 align:middle It was a great conversation. 00:10:12.206 --> 00:10:14.906 align:middle And that will do it for this episode of We Are IU. 00:10:15.216 --> 00:10:18.206 align:middle Please like and subscribe, and we'll see you next time. 00:10:18.466 --> 00:10:18.976 align:middle >> [Curt Cignetti:] Go IU. 00:10:19.196 --> 00:10:22.886 align:middle >> [Narrator:] Thanks for joining us for another episode of We Are IU, 00:10:24.176 --> 00:10:28.166 align:middle your home for fascinating conversations with thought leaders, legends, 00:10:28.276 --> 00:10:31.596 align:middle and visionaries from the university we know and love. 00:10:33.266 --> 00:10:36.746 align:middle New episodes available monthly at myiu.org. 00:10:37.016 --> 00:10:38.000 align:middle [ Music ]