Curt Cignetti’s best quotes at Indiana, from ‘Google me’ to Michigan and Ohio State ‘suck’ disses

Indiana has been one of the surprise teams of the 2024 college football season. The Hoosiers finished 11-1 in the Big Ten, earning the No. 10 seed in the College Football Playoff.

The secret to Indiana’s surprise success is due in large part to the arrival of head coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti, who is in his first season at Indiana, came to Bloomington after spending the last seven seasons at James Madison.

Cignetti has brought his winning ways to Indiana, and has given Hoosier fans some of the best football they’ve seen in quite some time. But the head coach has also made headlines for various quotes of his that have gone completely viral.

From “Google me,” “Purdue sucks” and others, let’s run through what makes Cignetti funny unique, and makes Indiana’s unexpectedly great season so much more fun.

 

Curt Cignetti’s best quotes at Indiana

What did Curt Cignetti say about Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue?

Indiana has been the doormat of the Big Ten for most of its existence, unfortunately. In fact, the Hoosiers have just two conference titles in school history, including one in 1967 that was shared with both Minnesota and Purdue.

But as soon as Cignetti arrived at Indiana, he began taking massive shots at Big Ten heavyweights Michigan and Ohio State. He also had plenty to say about Indiana’s in-state rival, Purdue. Here’s his fiery appearance at an Indiana basketball game in early December shortly after he was hired:

“It created a lot of buzz in Hoosier Nation,” Cignetti told ESPN of his basketball court battle cry. “I’m sure some people didn’t like it, and I’m sure people in Big Ten country thought I was a nut. But I think there was an excitement level before the season started. They were starving for success.”

 

This isn’t the only viral quote that Cignetti has had. One of his funniest and most popular came during one of his first few press conferences with the Indiana media.

Curt Cignetti Google me

Early Signing Period has become a huge part of college football recruiting nowadays. The addition of the transfer portal paired with most recruits wanting to sign with schools earlier than the February National Signing Day, most coaches have the bulk of their classes filled out during the ESP in late-December.

Cignetti’s recruiting class he put together shortly after he was hired was pretty impressive. But before we get into that, Cignetti’s “Google me” response came when a reporter asked him about how he plans to tell recruits about his vision:

Although Cignetti was hired by Indiana on Nov. 30, he wasted no time hitting the recruiting trail hard. In fact, several of the Hoosiers star players were signed from the portal in December or shortly thereafter.

• Starting QB Kurtis Rourke: Signed Dec. 14
• Starting RBs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton: Signed Dec. 10, Dec. 20
• Starting WR Elijah Sarratt: Signed Jan. 4
• Starting linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jalin Walker: Signed Dec. 24

Rourke has thrown for 2,210 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season, and Ellison leads the Hoosiers with 686 yards rushing with nine touchdowns. Lawton is right behind him with 508 yards and nine scores. Fisher is Indiana’s leading tackler with 98 total stops, including 3.5 for loss. Walker has 59 total tackles and a forced fumble.

Yes, you can Google Curt Cignetti and see just how much and often he wins. But more on that in a bit.

MORE: Full timeline of Curt Cignetti’s coaching career

Curt Cignetti on Indiana’s 10-0 record

Indiana’s 20-15 win over Michigan moved the Hoosiers to 10-0 on the season. In a postgame interview on CBS, Cignetti offered the perfect nonchalant response.

“What are we, 10-0?” Cignetti said. “Not bad.”

Big Ten media day

In Week 3, Indiana went on the road to play UCLA. The game marked the first time since 1967—the last time the Hoosiers won an outright Big Ten title—that Indiana played a game there. That year, the Hoosiers lost to USC 14-3. Cignetti saw the somewhat significant trip back to the Rose Bowl a bit differently:

“We’re just going to an old stadium to kick somebody’s ass,” Cignetti said at Big Ten Media days in July. “That’s not directed to UCLA, that’s the objective every week. Look, I know 1967 we were there and haven’t been there since, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We’re not going out on a cruise or a tour.”

Well, a few months after this infamous quote, Indiana did kick UCLA’s ass. Indiana won 42-13, held UCLA to just 238 total yards, made the Bruins go two-for-eight on third down and forced two turnovers in the win.

Before the game, Cignetti expanded further on his July quote, explaining how he treats every game. Even if that game is at a historic venue like the Rose Bowl.

“The Rose Bowl has a lot of tradition for people that follow football. For me, for the team, it’s more of a business trip,” Cignetti said, via Zach Osterman of the Indy Star. “Whether we’re playing in the Rose Bowl or the parking lot, it’s all the same.”