Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti typically meets with the media once a week during spring practice. Until Thursday, he’d mostly shared positive feedback. But this time, he was clearly frustrated with how the team performed.
Cignetti kicked off his Thursday press conference by openly expressing disappointment in the players’ effort and mindset during practice that day.
“We’re in a race to improve, and up until now, I felt we were on the right path,” he said. “But today, we missed a chance to get better. There was too much inconsistency, and we weren’t mentally ready to do what it takes to have a productive practice.”
He went on to criticize the lack of focus and attention to detail across all positions, pointing out that this led to poor execution.
“What really bothered me,” Cignetti added, “was that the coaching we’re delivering wasn’t being received. Great players crave coaching and want more of it. But inconsistent players only want coaching on their terms—and today, we had too many of those.”
Cignetti also noted a lack of energy on the field, saying there were too many moments where coaches had to push players just to get moving. “Up to now, the practices weren’t perfect, but the energy and effort had been there,” he said.
He made sure the players knew how he felt before they even left the field, saying he often gives his feedback in real-time rather than waiting until practice ends—sometimes in very blunt terms.
Thursday marked Indiana’s 10th spring practice. The team held its first scrimmage the previous Saturday and has another coming up this weekend, which won’t be open to the public. There’s one more session after that before the Hoosiers’ spring game next Thursday at Memorial Stadium.
Cignetti emphasized that his focus isn’t on the spring game or the upcoming fall season just yet. Instead, he wants his players to understand that their performance in spring will set the tone for future success.
“I’ll review the film—it’s never quite as good or as bad as it feels in the moment—but what matters most to me is how we performed today,” he said. “That’s where my attention is.”
Leave a Reply