Curt Cignetti has built Indiana on discipline as much as talent. After leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 season and the program’s first-ever CFP-era national title, he expects players to stay locked in at all times. So when Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh showed up with gold cleats on the very first day of the spring practice, Cignetti made his point.

Curt Cignetti follows a strict coaching style and always tries to keep his players focused on the game and winning. Now, on the first day of spring practice, when he saw WR Nick Marsh arriving with gold cleats, it immediately caught his attention, but in the wrong way. As it seemed like Marsh was trying to stand out instead of fitting into the system, and that can take away their focus.

“I didn’t love those gold shoes he came out in today,” Curt Cignetti said at the press conference after their first spring practice. “He learned what getting your ass ripped is all about. I don’t know if that happened to him very often at Michigan State. That was before practice started. That was a wake-up call.”

Coming from another program, Marsh hasn’t completely absorbed Indiana’s gritty mindset yet. Curt Cignetti views the flashy footwear not just as a style choice, but as an individualistic statement that actively clashes with the team-first identity that just won them the national title.

Cignetti’s reputation as a direct and honest coach is built on his clear communication and refusal to soften his message, as he dislikes anything that distracts from his primary focus: building a tough, disciplined team culture. Even before the national championship game, he made his mindset clear to the team, saying, “You don’t go to war with warm milk and cookies.”

This approach mainly comes from the time he spent working under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2007 to 2010. There, he learned how to stay focused and avoid “rat poison,” which means anything that can distract players or make them lose focus. Because of this, he works hard to keep a strong and serious culture in every team he coaches. Even when new players join in.

The harsh public reality check was a calculated message to the entire locker room. Transfer hype doesn’t buy special treatment in Bloomington. If the talented receiver wants to be the focal point of the defense, he has to buy into the daily grind first.

Curt Cignetti obviously sees high upside in Marsh, similar to what he saw in Fernando Mendoza, too. That’s exactly why he doesn’t want a show-off and luxury gets into his head rather than hard work. In two seasons at Michigan State, Marsh recorded 100 catches, 1,311 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Plus, with a 6-foot-3 and 213-pound frame, he has size and speed, which makes him even stronger.

Now, alongside Marsh’s schooling, Curt Cignetti also plans Indiana’s 3rd year.

Curt Cignetti stresses Indiana’s 3rd season under him

Curt Cignetti starts spring practice knowing this Indiana team needs more effort than his earlier teams. Before, he had many experienced players who already understood how he wanted things done. That made his job easier. This time, the team has many new players who are not familiar with his system yet. Because of that, he has to spend more time teaching them and helping them understand how the team works.

“I feel like we probably have more work to do with this group than the first two teams, simply because there are so many that we don’t have a one-to-three-year relationship with, whereas even in the first year, there were quite a few we knew very well,” Cignetti said.

Indiana lost key players from last season, which makes things harder for the team. Indiana lost key players from last season, including top offensive weapons like Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., and defensive cornerstones like Aiden Fisher and D’Angelo Ponds, forcing the coaches to rebuild on both sides of the ball.

Before, players like Fisher, Ponds, and Sarratt helped set the team culture and guide younger players. They show others how to behave, practice, and stay focused. But this year, there are fewer experienced leaders on the team.

Because of that, the coaches now have a bigger role in teaching discipline and standards to the new players. The team is still learning how things are done, and not everyone fully understands the expectations yet. That is why the Nick Marsh incident happened. So, now with a new team, let’s wait and see how Indiana takes off in the 2026 season.