Adam Breneman’s Takeaways from his time with Curt Cignetti and Indiana football

From the moment Curt Cignetti took over as the head coach of Indiana Football he made one thing very clear. He was going to change the culture.

The history of Indiana football is disappointing, to say the least. The program has suffered the most losses out of every program in FBS history. 

Yet despite all the history telling the world otherwise, there is a newfound belief and excitement surrounding the program and it can all be traced back to Cignetti.

When former college football player and current media personality Adam Breneman visited Bloomington, he could feel it. 

“As soon as I walked in the building there and got around the program, you could feel a new sense of energy in that place,” Breneman said.

Indiana hasn’t been a winning program since 2020.

Curt Cignetti is changing that — and more importantly, he’s changing the culture.

You can see it just when you’re walking around the facility. pic.twitter.com/oTKjaDaSwW

— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) May 30, 2024

The shift in the culture and energy all comes from the confidence that Cignetti boasts. Every time he speaks you can sense the belief he has in himself and his coaching staff to turn the program around.

Turning Indiana football around is no small challenge. Many have had some success, but no one has been able to sustain it.

The program has not had a coach finish their career with a winning record since Bo McMillin in 1947. Cignetti aims to be the first coach to do it and also end the Hoosiers’ 33-year bowl drought. 

“[Curt Cignetti] said something along the lines of, ‘I’ve won everywhere I’ve been and this place, Indiana, has been about the opposite.‘ That’s harsh but it’s the truth and the change of culture is the first thing you notice,” Breneman said. “It’s just the way they carry themselves, the way they talk. They talk about winning in the Big Ten and you can already feel that culture shifting.”

Read: National analyst thinks Curt Cignetti will have Indiana football ‘ahead of schedule’ in year one

Cignetti bleeds confidence that he can turn the program around and it’s infectious. Breneman has high hopes for a program that has been dormant for much of its history and he’s not the only one.

“I have hopes for Indiana the next few years,” Breneman said.

SEE ALSO: ‘I really wasn’t looking to leave JMU. I mean I loved it there. I figured I’d retire there’: Curt Cignetti details his decision to leave James Madison for Indiana football

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