Indiana’s Curt Cignetti begrudgingly confesses he smiles ‘at times’

There’s no question that Indiana football wouldn’t be where it is now without head coach Curt Cignetti. He’s turned the program around into a strong contender for a national championship. And he has done so by being 100% stoic, or so we thought.

It turns out that Cignetti, with real reluctance, admits that he does smile every so often, per Zach Osterman of Indy Star.

“I do smile, and I am happy. At times” he said. Interestingly, he makes it clear that his happiness is purely conditional.

However, there is plenty to be happy about. Indiana is undefeated and is in the hunt for a national championship. They are coming off a recent defeat over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Now, they are setting their sights on Oregon in the College Football semifinal on Friday.

Indiana finished the year with a 14-0 and 9-0 record 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 a recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban.

During his coaching career, he has maintained a serious persona, not getting too high or too low. Therefore, showing a smile runs incongruent to that whole facade. However, Cignetti granted an exception after the Rose Bowl win.

Curt Cignetti follows in the path of other legendary stoic coaches

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 came. Additionally, legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was known for his tough approach to the game.

So Cignetti is part of a grand tradition of those who came before who led with a certain measure of calm. That may carry him and the Hoosiers across the finish line.

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