ATLANTA — Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti often looks unhappy on the sideline throughout games. No matter if the Hoosiers are smothering their opponent or trailing, he frowns.
When Indiana throttled then-No. 9 Illinois in its conference opener, Cignetti frowned on the west sideline inside Memorial Stadium.
Cignetti looked at the videoboard with a puzzled look when the Hoosiers trailed Michigan State on Oct. 18. His team faced a three-point deficit before scoring 31 unanswered points en route to a 25-point victory.
Even when Indiana defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game to secure its first outright conference title since 1945, Cignetti remained stone-faced.
His look didn’t change in the Rose Bowl, when the Hoosiers drubbed the No. 9 University of Alabama in a historic 35-point win.
Nothing changes for Cignetti. No matter if it’s practice, games or just walking around the Hoosiers’ facility, he maintains the same look — almost an unhappy one.
Cignetti has established several phrases at Indiana, such as “fast, physical, relentless” and “smart, disciplined, poised.” But he’s always stressed the Hoosiers are “never satisfied.”
It’s not a new concept to the second-year Hoosiers head coach.
Former James Madison University running back Percy Agyei-Obese played four seasons under Cignetti from 2019-2022. He learned a great deal about Cignetti throughout their time together, including his inability to be satisfied.
That mentality trickled down to players, Agyei-Obese wrote in a story published by The Athletic on Wednesday. Through Agyei-Obese's eyes, Cignetti was never happy.
However, Cignetti explained in a press conference Thursday that his unhappy nature must be put into context. Cignetti only sees two paths for the Hoosiers after every game: getting better or getting worse. So, he said, he has to keep the same "edge" to push his team toward the former.
But in terms of his happiness level, Cignetti disagreed with Agyei-Obese's assessment.
“I mean, there's a lot of times I am happy,” Cignetti said. “I just don't show I'm happy.”
Cignetti’s mindset goes back to another one of his phrases he’s ingrained in his squad: “one play at a time, six seconds a play, every play has a life and history of its own.”
“And if I'm going to ask my players to play the first play to play 150 the same regardless of the competitive circumstances, then I can't be seen on the sideline high-fiving people and celebrating, or what's going to happen?” Cignetti said. “What's the effect going to be, right?”
The Hoosier faithful aren’t exactly sure what the effect would be since Cignetti hasn’t done such a thing at Indiana. Presumably, his squad wouldn’t continue to play with the same mentality he desires.
Instead, the Cream and Crimson could grow complacent in the latter stages of blowout victories. And that goes against his concept of stalking complacency, which he’s explained means fighting human nature.
“So,” Cignetti said, “that's why I am like I am during the game.”
Cignetti is tasked with making crucial decisions throughout contests. No matter if it’s a play in the second quarter — like when a chess match broke out on fourth and 1 against Alabama in the second quarter — or one in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, every decision influences the Hoosiers.
If Cignetti is showing any sort of happiness when he’s faced with those choices, then he won’t be “dialed in and thinking ahead.”
The time for the 64-year-old Cignetti to smile and celebrate is far after the game in the coaches’ room with his assistants.
“Maybe have a beer,” he said.
But throughout the CFP, there are numerous media obligations Cignetti must complete. Whether it was an interview with the radio and television broadcasts or a press conference with reporters, Cignetti said it wasn’t until about an hour and a half after the Rose Bowl that he could smile and celebrate.
But smiling and celebrating after drubbing Alabama likely didn’t last long. The Hoosiers preach moving on to the next game and the next opponent in their way: No. 5 Oregon.
Cignetti surely won’t veer from his routine. He’ll display the same unhappy look on the sideline. Even if the Cream and Crimson defeat the Ducks, they’ll turn their attention toward the national championship.
Securing the program’s first national championship would surely give Cignetti a reason to smile. While accomplishing such a feat is still two victories away, Cignetti isn’t always unhappy — even if it seems so.
“So no, I do smile,” he said, “and I am happy at times.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
