It wasn’t long ago that Curt Cignetti grabbed a mic inside Assembly Hall and fired off a bold declaration: “Ohio State sucks.” That moment - part rallying cry, part mission statement - was Cignetti’s way of shaking Indiana football out of its slumber. He took aim at not just the Buckeyes, but Purdue and Michigan too, signaling that the Hoosiers weren’t going to stay quiet under his watch.
Fast forward to today, and the tone has shifted. The bravado hasn’t disappeared entirely, but it’s evolved.
Now, with Indiana set to face No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, Cignetti isn’t throwing verbal haymakers.
He doesn’t need to. His team’s presence in this game says enough.
In the lead-up to Saturday’s showdown, Cignetti spoke with a level of respect that matches the stakes. During a Sunday teleconference, he didn’t hold back in praising the man on the opposite sideline.
“Ryan Day is a great coach,” Cignetti said. “He’ll be one of the legends of the game someday.”
That’s not just coach-speak. That’s one coach recognizing another who’s built a powerhouse and sustained it - a nod to the kind of program Cignetti is trying to build in Bloomington.
Day, for his part, was caught a bit off guard by the compliment - but appreciative.
“Well, that’s quite a compliment,” Day said. “I appreciate him saying that. Not too sure what to think of that, got a lot of football to coach before any of those types of conversations.”
Still, Day didn’t hesitate to return the respect. He spoke at length about Cignetti’s football roots, noting that being raised in a coaching family shapes how you see the game.
Cignetti is the son of Frank Cignetti Sr., a longtime head coach at West Virginia and IUP. His brother, Frank Jr., has coached at both the NFL and college levels.
That kind of upbringing, Day said, leaves a mark.
“He’s the son of a coach, and everything that comes with that,” Day said. “He just has a feel for the game. When you grow up around this profession, you understand what it’s supposed to look like, you understand people, you understand situations - and that’s the way he is and that’s the way he coaches.”
That football IQ has been on full display during Cignetti’s time at Indiana. The turnaround has been swift and undeniable.
He’s won everywhere he’s gone, and he’s done it with a loyal staff that’s followed him from stop to stop. That continuity - in a sport where coaching turnover is constant - says a lot about the culture he builds.
“I know people laugh about some of the comments he makes about ‘Google him’ and all that,” Day said, referring to one of Cignetti’s more memorable quips. “But it’s true.
He’s been around football his whole life. It just makes sense to him.
He’s been around it. Been around winning football.”
This week, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s No. 1 vs.
No. 2.
Ohio State, the perennial Big Ten juggernaut, against an Indiana team that’s crashed the party with confidence and grit. The coaches?
Two men who know what it takes to build something lasting - and who clearly respect each other’s path.
The trash talk may have quieted, but make no mistake: Saturday’s game is going to be loud.