Week 3: Curt Cignetti — Building a Championship Program and Championship Mindsets

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has led arguably the biggest turnaround in sports history, taking one of the worst football programs in the country to a National Championship game in just two seasons.

He sat down with Adam Breneman to talk about his coaching journey, his formula for creating a championship program, what he looks for in athletes and young coaches, and some of the most valuable lessons he has learned.

Change the Way People Think

Coach Cignetti said the first thing he had to do when he took over the Indiana football program was to change the way people thought. You can have a blueprint, a plan, and a good process, but people have to think the right way — think like a winner and a champion — if you want to win at a high level.

When you change the way people think, you can change the way they work. If you can change the way they work, you can change the way they perform.

His Formula

When asked about his formula for success, Coach Cignetti said you have to have a blueprint, a plan, and a process, and you have to work it every day. It needs to be highly structured and organized. And you have to bring in the right people, teach and train them the right way, and then create an environment where they can become the best version of themselves.

Changes to His Formula

When he was asked if his formula had changed when he moved up levels, Coach Cignetti said: “You get better or you get worse — you never stay the same. You have to always look for better ways to do things, and you can never get complacent. If you get comfortable, then you’re not getting better, and someone will catch you and pass you up. My big thing is to always have a sense of urgency, every second, minute, and hour of the day, but if you’re organized and structured, you won’t need to spend 18 hours in the office, every single day.”

What He Learned From Coach Saban

Have a plan for everything and avoid complacency because when you win that much, you can’t let it set in. It’s easy to get complacent when you win a lot, but you can’t because someone is chasing you. Keep seeking ways and opportunities to get better.

Shifting Mindsets

When asked how he gets his athletes to shift their mindset, Coach Cignettis said: “95% of it is really between the ears, so in everything we do, we have to have high standards and expectations, the standards can never be compromised, and there has to be accountability throughout the entire organization — coaches and players. It’s a daily process, and you just stack good days.”

What He Looks for when Recruiting

This is what’s important to me: “What drives the athlete? What’s their why? How motivated are they? Are they committed? Are they disciplined? What kind of family do they come from? What kind of habits did they form at a young age? Do they know right from wrong? I’m into production over potential. I want to know what I’m getting and buying. I’ll look at the transcripts.”

What He Looks for in Young Coaches

Character. Eager. Intelligent. No task is too small or too big. My dad told me, “Only get in it if you can’t live without it.” I’m looking for a young, eager, industrious person who has good communication skills and a presence and understands that it is a learning process.

Managing Adversity

All of us face adversity every single day, week, month, and year. Part of being successful is overcoming obstacles, persevering, overcoming adversity, learning from and coming back stronger from failure, and not being affected by success. Staying humble and hungry every single day. High achievers and strivers understand that, and that is why they get to that point. And you have to be driven. If you want to obtain professional success, you have to make a commitment and sacrifice that are unusual and special. If you want to be normal, that’s fine, but normal equals average. If you want to be great, you have to do some special things.

There were a lot of great takeaways as a coach, athlete or parent. Have a plan and have the discipline to stick to the plan every single day. Don’t let distractions or complacency knock you off track, and when you do get knocked off, get back on as soon as possible.