Trump recognizes Indiana football's 'very special coach,' Curt Cignetti
IU football coach Curt Cignetti joked he'd trade a program treasure for NIL contributions from President Donald Trump during a celebration at the white House.
WASHINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti ’s no self-imposed limitations mantra made it all the way to the White House. President Donald Trump hosted the Hoosiers for an event Monday afternoon on the South Lawn in honor of the team winning the 2026 CFP title game. Trump spent most of his time at the podium praising Cignetti’s “cocky” attitude and gutsy play calls.
“If it doesn't work, that's like a career-threatening (call), right? ” Trump said of Cignetti’s decision to have Fernando Mendoza run a QB draw on fourth down against Miami . After highlighting the team's many accomplishments, Trump called Cignetti the “coach of the decade” for the job he did turning Indiana into a winner.
“Very special coach, I'll tell you that,” Trump said. “I just got to know him a little bit backstage, and he's a winner. Every player in this team shared their coach's winning mindset, and they executed with unbelievable skill.
” When the Hoosiers’ outspoken coach got the microphone, he led the players gathered behind him in a “Hoo-hoo-hoo-Hoosiers" chants — a tradition that carried over from the postseason — and focused his remarks on the coaching philosophy that's guided his rise up the ranks. “Prepare the right way every single day to a high standard, and anything is possible in life,” Cignetti said. “The only limitations are those between your ears, and you can't have any of those either.