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CHICAGO -- Curt Cignetti isn't allowing Indiana's stunning national championship to linger in his rearview mirror. The Hoosiers' coach, speaking at Big Ten media days on Thursday, made it clear that dwelling on past success is not an option.
"It's time to turn the page, which I don't have a problem doing," Cignetti told ESPN. "Our coaches don't have a problem doing that, and the core group that was with us last year in the locker room do that well too." Two years ago, Cignetti arrived at the same event making bold proclamations about Indiana's trajectory. Last year, he pointed out the perceived disrespect after the Hoosiers' early College Football Playoff exit. Now, with a national title in hand, respect has largely arrived, though Cignetti noted with a smile that "most people, not all" acknowledge the program's accomplishment.
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Cignetti is determined to keep his squad focused on the process rather than the outcome. "Words are fine, but it takes what it takes, and it's actions and standards and how you do things," he said. "And our guys know the blueprint, the plan, the process, the standard, and they help the new ones assimilate. And so far I like what I see." He added that external motivation has its place, but internal drive is paramount, especially with a roster increasingly familiar with his system. Cignetti pledged to be "stalking complacency" around the team. "We don't talk about winning games. We don't talk about winning championships," said Cignetti, who boasts a 27-2 record at Indiana. "We talk about doing the things you've got to do in the here and now to become the best you can be. Are you doing it to the standard?"
The Hoosiers must replace Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, along with other key contributors, including several players who followed Cignetti from James Madison. But Cignetti rejected the notion that the roster is depleted. Indiana retained standout linemen Tyrique Tucker and Carter Smith and added key transfers such as TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh. "I've seen a couple things like, 'Well, the JMU guys are gone.' Well, guess what? The Indiana guys that have been on the team last two years, they're the JMU guys now," Cignetti said. "We'll see how good they can carry the flag this season. They've been really good players, but they haven't been out in front."
Hoover, who did not attend media days, brings 9,629 career passing yards and 71 touchdowns from TCU, where he set multiple records but also dealt with turnover issues. Cignetti praised Hoover's experience but noted that true evaluation comes in clutch moments. "The thing about Fernando, when it all comes down to it, he won the close games in the fourth quarter," Cignetti said. "That's more of [what makes] a great quarterback. We didn't talk Fernando into it. He went out there and did it."
Indiana reconvenes next week for preseason camp. Despite a season that transformed the program, Cignetti will not adjust his core message. "My first team meeting would look a lot like last year's team meeting or five years ago's team meeting," he said. "We've kind of got a blueprint plan process, and we think it works and it does. We try to find little ways to improve it, but the messaging is pretty consistent because it takes what it takes."
Originally reported by espn.