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On Jan. 19, Curt Cignetti finally cracked a smile, and his undefeated Indiana Hoosiers celebrated the program’s first national championship. Cignetti, who immediately transformed a Big Ten bottom dweller at a school known for basketball into a Power 4 titan on the gridiron, hoisted the gold trophy that’s become synonymous with the College Football Playoff.
A bit more than two months later, Cignetti apparently doesn’t want to see that color.
“I didn't love those gold shoes he came out in today," Cignetti told reporters on Thursday, referencing the footwear choice Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh made for the first day of spring practice in Bloomington.
"He learned what getting your ass ripped is all about. I don't know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State.”
Cignetti added: “That was before practice started."
Now entering his third season as Indiana’s frontman, Cignetti still tells it how it is. He’s candid, bold and he won’t sugarcoat things. He famously said before last season’s national title game, regarding sentimentalism about Indiana’s storybook 2025 campaign, “You don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies.”
If you’ve Googled Cignetti, you’ll know that he’s a former Nick Saban assistant. He coached the Alabama receivers from 2007-10, working under Saban for the first three seasons of the legendary coach’s tenure in Tuscaloosa.
Cignetti has an eye for “rat poison,” too, and, more generally, anything that might cause distraction. He prides himself on the culture he’s built at the programs he’s stewarded, whether that be at IUP, Elon, James Madison or Indiana.
He’s maintained that culture even as the Hoosiers have become one of the strongest portal magnets in the sport. Marsh was part of Indiana’s 2026 transfer haul that also included former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover.
In two seasons at Michigan State, Marsh totaled 100 catches, 1,311 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He eclipsed the 600-yard receiving mark both years he was in East Lansing.
At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Marsh possesses a blend of size and speed that allowed him to make an impact as soon as he reached the collegiate ranks. He turned heads as a true freshman. But next next season as a junior, he has serious breakout potential — that is, if he acclimates at Indiana.
“That was a wake-up call," Cignetti said Thursday of the talking-to he gave Marsh about his cleats. "But he's really worked hard, done a great job for us.”
It’s clear that at this point of the year, the only gold Cignetti cares about is the gold standard that he holds every member of his program to.
Continue reading...
A bit more than two months later, Cignetti apparently doesn’t want to see that color.
“I didn't love those gold shoes he came out in today," Cignetti told reporters on Thursday, referencing the footwear choice Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh made for the first day of spring practice in Bloomington.
"He learned what getting your ass ripped is all about. I don't know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State.”
Cignetti added: “That was before practice started."
Now entering his third season as Indiana’s frontman, Cignetti still tells it how it is. He’s candid, bold and he won’t sugarcoat things. He famously said before last season’s national title game, regarding sentimentalism about Indiana’s storybook 2025 campaign, “You don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies.”
If you’ve Googled Cignetti, you’ll know that he’s a former Nick Saban assistant. He coached the Alabama receivers from 2007-10, working under Saban for the first three seasons of the legendary coach’s tenure in Tuscaloosa.
Cignetti has an eye for “rat poison,” too, and, more generally, anything that might cause distraction. He prides himself on the culture he’s built at the programs he’s stewarded, whether that be at IUP, Elon, James Madison or Indiana.
He’s maintained that culture even as the Hoosiers have become one of the strongest portal magnets in the sport. Marsh was part of Indiana’s 2026 transfer haul that also included former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover.
In two seasons at Michigan State, Marsh totaled 100 catches, 1,311 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He eclipsed the 600-yard receiving mark both years he was in East Lansing.
At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Marsh possesses a blend of size and speed that allowed him to make an impact as soon as he reached the collegiate ranks. He turned heads as a true freshman. But next next season as a junior, he has serious breakout potential — that is, if he acclimates at Indiana.
“That was a wake-up call," Cignetti said Thursday of the talking-to he gave Marsh about his cleats. "But he's really worked hard, done a great job for us.”
It’s clear that at this point of the year, the only gold Cignetti cares about is the gold standard that he holds every member of his program to.
Continue reading...
