For a coach with standards as relentless as Curt Cignetti’s, any roster misstep is a ‘grave mistake.’ As the Indiana coach admits to a rare portal misfire, he’s also stepping into a completely different high-pressure job, albeit one far from the gridiron.

“I can only think, off the top of my head, of one mistake we’ve made in the winter portal in two years,” Curt Cignetti said on the Y-option podcast.

Cignetti’s high standards are evident in how the program handles even minor personnel misses. While most of his 2025 portal class contributed, players like cornerback Amariyun Knighten (20 snaps) and receiver Makai Jackson (51 snaps) were quickly identified as poor fits, a process Cignetti himself deems a ‘mistake’ he works relentlessly to avoid.

In the winter before the 2024 season, the coaches did a perfect job, as all 21 players they brought in, many from Cignetti’s old team at James Madison, ended up helping the team when they were healthy. Before the 2025 season, two players didn’t contribute much; one was wide receiver Makai Jackson, who played only in four games, recording 51 snaps, and then later decided to save a year of eligibility.

Indiana also brought in players during the spring transfer portal, but some of them didn’t make a big impact right away. For example, defensive backs Cedarius Doss and DJ Warnell and linebacker Nahji Logan came in during the spring of 2024.

Warnell and Logan chose to save a year of eligibility by redshirting, while Doss still played a role on special teams even though he didn’t get much time on defense. Indiana got in 30 players from the spring portal, and among them, just three couldn’t make a massive impact. This shows how well Curt Cignetti is developing his team.

Cignetti puts team culture first and focuses on developing players instead of giving them false promises.

“When I have a guy and they want to be promised this or that, playing time, they’ve told me, ‘I’m going to start. ‘ No, no. I’ve never done that and never would,” Cignetti said. “How could I possibly not lose the locker room if I’m promising guys that they will do this or they will do that? Everything’s earned.”

Apart from that, for Cignetti, hiring high school recruits is a tougher job than bringing in a player from the portal. First, they cannot immediately impact the team, and then their mindset keeps changing with time. They might make a move for more money or better playing time in the future.

“What we’re really looking for there are position-specific criteria. Toughness at all positions is still number one,” Cignetti said. “They’re going to change a lot, and that’s where development becomes really important.”

Now, with 17 incoming portal additions for this season, let’s wait and see if all of them are able to make an impact on Curt Cignetti’s team or not. But with his team’s success, Cignetti is also making huge development on his career.

Curt Cignetti’s major career move

Curt Cignetti had an amazing season with Indiana football, leading the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record and the team’s first-ever national championship. In only his second year as coach, he turned Indiana into a top team and created one of the most remarkable stories in sports.

As for accepting another job, Curt Cignetti isn’t abandoning Bloomington. Instead, the Hoosiers’ head coach will be taking on a prestigious and high-speed side gig this May. Reports have confirmed that Cignetti will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the Indy 500.

“His Hoosiers have been nothing short of remarkable, and their National Championship run inspired our entire state,” IndyCar and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a press release. “He’s the perfect choice to drive the Chevrolet Pace Car, and I know his introduction on Race Day will bring out a special roar of appreciation from our crowd.”