Curt Cignetti reluctantly admits to smiling ‘occasionally’
There is no doubt about it Indiana football it wouldn’t be where it is now without a head coach Curt Cignetti. He turned the program around into a strong national championship contender. And he did it by being 100% stoic, or so we thought.
It turned out that Cignetti, with true indolenceadmits to smiling from time to time, according to Zach Osterman of the Indy Star.
“I smile and I’m happy. Sometimes,” he said. Interestingly, he makes it clear that his happiness is purely conditional.
However, there is much to look forward to. Indiana is undefeated and in the hunt for a national championship. they are after a recent loss to Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Now they are setting their sights on Oregon on Friday in the college football semifinals.
Indiana finished the year 14-0 and 9-0 in the Big Ten. Cignetti’s previous coaching stint was at James Madison University from 2019 to 2023. During that time, he led them to a Sun Belt Conference championship.
From 2007-2010, Cignetti was the recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban.
Throughout his coaching career, he maintained a serious personality, neither stooping too high nor too low. So, showing a smile is not in keeping with that whole facade. however, Cignetti allowed an exception after winning the Rose Bowl.
Kurt Cinetti follows the path of other legendary stoic trainers
Cignetti’s mentor, Nick Saban, was known for a similar, stoic, largely emotionless personality.
Also, legendary football innovator Amos Alonzo Stagg was as stoic as they come. In addition, legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was known for his hard-nosed approach to the game.
So Cignetti is part of a great tradition of those who came before who led with a certain amount of composure. That could carry him and the Hoosiers over the finish line.
2026-01-08 16:51:00
