Hoosiers Now

2024 In Review: Curt Cignetti's 15 Most Memorable Quotes

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti captivated fans with plenty of memorable quotes throughout his first season. Here are 15 that should be remembered for years to come.

Jack Ankony

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talks after defeating Michigan at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talks after defeating Michigan at Memorial Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Curt Cignetti came to Indiana knowing that he had to excite a dormant fanbase, which had suffered through a 9-27 record the previous three seasons.

Before any games were played, Cignetti stated his intentions of winning immediately. Many doubted him, but he didn’t seem to care. He was a bold personality in press conferences and television appearances, and he backed it up on the field by scaling heights no Indiana coach had reached.

Here are the 15 most memorable Cignetti quotes from his first year at Indiana, listed in chronological order.

1. Cignetti addresses his biggest challenge

Full disclosure, the first few quotes on this list break the rules because they were said at Cignetti’s introductory press conference on Dec. 1, 2023. But they follow the spirit of the article as they’re linked to Cignetti’s first year coaching the Hoosiers. 

My first question to Cignetti was what he saw as his biggest challenge in elevating Indiana from a 3-9 record in 2023 to a winning program. He kept it simple.

“Changing the way people think,” Cignetti said. 

Indiana was picked to finish 17th out of 18 teams in the preseason Big Ten poll, and oddsmakers set the Hoosiers’ win total at 5.5 games. Cignetti shattered even the most optimistic expectations by going 11-2 and reaching the College Football Playoff berth in his first year. Modest crowds at Memorial Stadium turned into four straight sellouts, three games featured on College GameDay and perhaps more fan excitement than ever. He certainly changed the way people think about Indiana football, and it’s even more impressive that he did so in one year. 

2. Cignetti describes recruiting approach

One of the biggest changes in Cignetti’s jump from James Madison to Indiana was going to be facing higher-caliber athletes at programs like Ohio State and Michigan, which annually land four- and five-star recruits. 

Cignetti doesn’t look at it that way, though. We quickly learned of Cignetti’s “production over potential” recruiting philosophy, seen through his first transfer portal class that was loaded with veterans. The 31-player class was ranked No. 28 nationally by 247Sports, just one spot ahead of Purdue’s 18-player class. It included 24 players from non-Power Five schools, many of whom became key contributors for Indiana.

“I’ve never really looked at stars ever, honestly,” Cignetti said. “It's kind of like I get so focused in on certain things, like in this particular case, evaluation. I guess these stars have been around for a long time. I have never, ever looked at a star. I mean, do you really think that some guy that puts stars on kids knows what he's talking about? Compared to coaches who are watching hours and hours of tape on kids? No. If you want to get ratings and you want to go recruit the guys with the most stars – because there's always going to be somebody who shouldn't have four stars that's going to be available, right? – you go ahead and do that. That's not how we operate.”

Curt Cignetti Indiana Football
Indiana University President Pamela Whitten shakes hands with new football coach Curt Cignetti as Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson holds a jersey with Cignetti's name. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

3. Cignetti calls his shot

Cignetti’s first appearance on the Big Ten Network featured a bold prediction.

“I figured I had to make this trip up here, since we'll be playing in this game next year,” Cignetti said at Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the 2024 Big Ten championship. 

Most thought Indiana had no chance of achieving that in Cignetti’s first year, but the Hoosiers came extremely close. Indiana went 8-1 in Big Ten play, good for a second-place tie with Penn State, behind 9-0 Oregon. Indiana and Penn State didn’t play head-to-head this year, so it came down to a tiebreaker of the higher cumulative conference winning percentage among its opponents. Penn State won the tiebreaker and ultimately lost, 45-37.

Cignetti wasn’t a fan of the tiebreaker scenarios.

"We would have been better off just flipping a coin between the two second-place teams to see who played in that game,” Cignetti said. “But it didn't work out that way. So I guess my prediction [of playing in the Big Ten championship] did not come true. But we're going to play in the College Football Playoff, and, you know, our destiny will be created by our actions and what we do. Every single day leading up to there in terms of our preparation and our performance between the white lines."

4. Cignetti disses rival, Big Ten foes 

Part of changing the way people think about Indiana football required Cignetti to be bold. His first chance to excite the Indiana fanbase was during a men’s basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He did just that, walking out to “Thunderstruck” blaring on the speakers.

“Hey, look, I’m super fired up about this opportunity,” Cignetti said, drawing a meager applause.

“I’ve never taken a backseat to anybody and don’t plan on starting now,” he said as the cheers grew louder.

“Purdue sucks!” He said, met with a roar from the fans.

“But so does Michigan and Ohio State! Go IU!” Cignetti exclaimed, sending the Assembly Hall crowd into a frenzy.

5. A catchphrase is born

During a press conference on National Signing Day, Cignetti gave the quote that he might be best known for now. He was asked about how he meshes incoming recruits with returning players and sells them on the vision of his program’s culture.

“It’s pretty simple,” he said. “I win. Google me.”

The quote became so popular that it was seen on t-shirts, signs at College GameDay and even became a scoreboard graphic shown after wins at Memorial Stadium during the season.

6. Cignetti defines success

By the time Big Ten Media Days rolled around in late July, we had come to expect memorable quotes from Cignetti. This is the entertainment business after all, he reminded everyone. 

During his speech at the main podium at Big Ten Media days, Cignetti said he’s often asked how he defines success at Indiana. 

“I was like, well, we want to be the best,” Cignetti said. “I mean, you don't bring your kids up, Johnny, I want you to be fourth best. I want you to be tenth best. Bullshit. We want to be the best. So when I talk about no self-imposed limitations, that's what I'm talking about.”

7. The Hoosiers’ first business trip

The Big Ten expanded to 18 teams in 2024, with the addition of UCLA, Oregon, USC and Washington. Indiana’s trip to the Rose Bowl came with plenty of intrigue by fans, but Cignetti did not want his team to treat it any differently.

“We’re just going to an old stadium to kick somebody’s ass,” Cignetti said at Big Ten Media Days. “When I say that, that’s not directed toward UCLA. That’s the objective every week. Look, I know 1967 we were there [for the Rose Bowl] and haven’t been there since. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We’re not going out for a cruise or on a tour. We’re going out there to play a football game. We got a job to do.”

Curt Cignetti Indiana Football
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti celebrates after beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Indiana made a statement at the Rose Bowl, dominating UCLA in a 42-13 win. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense generated two takeaways. The Hoosiers still had skeptics, but this win was the first emphatic statement on their way to leading the nation in scoring margin by the end of the year.

About a month later, Cignetti went on the Pat McAfee Show and delivered another memorable quote on how Indiana approached traveling to Los Angeles. 

"My weight guy and my director of football ops, they've got all these designs, you know, go out Thursday, this what you got to do, blah, blah, blah,” Cignetti said. “ … No, no, no, no, we ain't doing that, guys. We're going to get there as late as possible. We’re gonna to wake up. We're going to play the game, and we're going to come back. We got to the hotel at about eight o'clock at night, ate our meal, went to bed, woke up, played 3:30, kicked their ass and came home." 

8. An iconic email

By the end of Indiana’s season-opening 31-7 win over Florida International, thousands of fans had already left Memorial Stadium. That had become a common sight in recent seasons, but Cignetti wanted to change that and create a Power Four environment. He knew he had to hold up his end of the bargain by winning games, too. But before Indiana’s game against Maryland on Sept. 28, he sent an email to students asking for their support.

“When the clock hits zero and we’re 5-0, I want you there to be able to celebrate a historic win with us,” a portion of the email read. “The tailgates can wait. The parties can wait. If you need to study, that can wait, too.”

Indiana defeated Maryland 42-28, and the vast majority of fans stayed until the end despite the rain. Indiana sold out Memorial Stadium the next four games, something that hadn’t been done since five sellouts in 1969.

9. A tribute to Lee Corso

Indiana hosted ESPN’s College GameDay show on a Saturday for the first time in program history ahead of its 31-17 win over Washington on Oct. 26. Thousands of fans surrounded Memorial Stadium for hours before the game, and it was made extra special by former Indiana coach Lee Corso’s appearance on the show. 

Cignetti shared a heartfelt story about how Corso helped his family through a difficult time.

10. Setting a program record

Prior to the 2024 season, Indiana had won nine games just twice – in 1967 and 1945. The Hoosiers broke that record with their 10th and best win of the season, defeating Michigan 20-15 at home on Nov. 9. In a season with plenty of blowouts, it wasn’t Indiana’s prettiest win. The Hoosiers led 17-3 at halftime, then didn’t score until the 2:32 mark of the fourth quarter. 

“Not many style points there,” Cignetti said postgame. “Not gonna be many people banging the drum saying Indiana oughta be rated higher in the BCS and all that good stuff, but the Indiana Hoosiers are 10-0 and have a week off and coach Cignetti’s got a day off tomorrow.”

Indiana football with a 10-0 record is something no one imagined going into the season, perhaps maybe Cignetti and some of the Hoosiers. And to accomplish that against a college football blueblood like Michigan made it even more special. The win aged well, as Michigan went on to beat Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama to finish its season 8-5.

11. A program on the rise

Indiana announced on Nov. 16 it agreed to a new eight-year contract with Cignetti that includes an average annual compensation of $8 million, plus a $1 million annual retention bonus and an $11 million salary pool for assistant coaches. It signified Indiana is more committed to making its football successful than ever, and Cignetti believes this year is just the beginning.

“Some people say, well, why would you do that when this [job] may open, that one may open and you’re gonna be a hot commodity and blah, blah, blah” Cignetti said on FOX. “And the fact of the matter is we’re the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?”

12. Calling out the critics

Following its 10-0 start, No. 5 Indiana traveled to No. 2 Ohio State for what many considered the biggest game in program history. Despite being a top-five matchup, Ohio State was favored by 10.5 points, and some remained skeptical of the Hoosiers due to their inferior strength of schedule. 

“This is just a football game, 60 minutes between the white lines,” Cignetti said on College GameDay. “We got a veteran group, right. We earned the right to be here. There’s no magic wand. We got the largest scoring margin, victory margin in college football, right. There’s a narrative out there that’s created another chip for us. People can stick that narrative up their you know what.”

13. Staying in Bloomington

Cignetti became a frequent guest on the Pat McAfee Show this year. The two West Virginia University alumni were discussing the school recently hiring Rich Rodriguez, a college teammate of Cignetti’s, as its new head football coach. 

Perhaps in a joking manner, McAfee gauged Cignetti’s interest in the job, but he reaffirmed his intentions of staying at Indiana..

"Didn't know if you wanted to come back to West Virginia," McAfee said. "But, hey, no poaching."

"No. No. No," Cignetti said, smiling. "This is home right here, baby. This is where it ends for me. Hey, and we're just getting started. We're just getting started here, okay.” 

14. One he may regret

Cignetti backed up his bold claims throughout the year as Indiana broke program records and became the best story in college football. A lot of that was because Cignetti knew he had to drum up enthusiasm around the program, and it worked. But there’s one quote that I wonder if Cignetti wishes he could take back.

Prior to Indiana’s College Football Playoff game at Notre Dame, Cignetti addressed those who doubted the Hoosiers due to their lack of top-25 wins, according to the AP poll.

“There’s a lot of skeptics. There’s a lot of doubters,” Cignetti said. “I get it, right. Haven’t beat a top-25 team. Nebraska was 25th in the coaches poll and we beat their ass 56-7, you know. And I’ve never beat a top-25 team? Well, you know, Coastal Carolina, back when we were little James Madison moving up to the Sun Belt, they were 22nd the year we beat them 47-7. So we don’t just beat top-25 teams. We beat the shit out of them.” 

Indiana went on to lose 27-17 to No. 7 seed Notre Dame, a game it trailed 27-3 with two minutes to play. In their only other game against an AP top-25 team in 2024, the Hoosiers lost 38-15 at No. 2 Ohio State. Even if you count the Nebraska win, it’s fair for Indiana’s skeptics to hold this quote against Cignetti.

15. A historic season ends

Cignetti and the Hoosiers had plans to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff, but their season ended in the first round at Notre Dame. However, the loss doesn’t take away all the great things the Hoosiers accomplished in 2024 and the legacy they built.

After the game, Cignetti stated how this team should be remembered.

“You are what your record says you are. So, 11-2,” Cignetti said. “Tied for second in the Big Ten. Made the College Football Playoff. And packed the stadium. Made a lot of people proud. And had a historic season. So set the foundation for hopefully what's to come.”

Related stories on Indiana football

  • TOP FOOTBALL MEMORIES: Todd Golden looks back at his favorite Indiana football moments from an unforgettable 11-2 season. CLICK HERE
  • INDIANA HIRES WHITMER TO HANDLE QBs: Indiana hired Chandler Whitmer to coach quarterbacks. CLICK HERE.
  • MENDOZA TO IU: Following a sophomore season with 3,004 passing yards at California, quarterback Fernando Mendoza is transferring to Indiana and teaming up with his brother, Alberto. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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