A Unique Approach Helps Curt Cignetti Retain Key Assistant Coaches

Everyone wants to know Curt Cignetti's secret recipe after leading a historically unsuccessful Indiana football program to a national championship and a 27-2 record in two seasons.

He'll keep some things close to the chest, but other aspects are more obvious than one might think. It starts with efficiency and keeping everyone happy and healthy.

Cignetti doesn't wear out his team with long practices, and he doesn't force his coaches to spend their entire lives grinding through film. The result has been a relatively low amount of injuries through two seasons, a coaching staff that often seems to have the strategic advantage and a well-rounded football team.

It stems from a unique approach, but it wouldn't be surprising to see other programs try to adopt Cignetti's methods, if they haven't already.

“I’m a little different than a lot of guys. I don’t practice a long time," Cignetti said in a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast. "I’m a 25-minute walk through guy on Monday and Friday, and we’re about an hour 30 to an hour 40 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, helmet shoulder pads. I’m the same way in the office. I come in early, organize the day."

"When we’re done with practice, those coaches, they can go home if they want to and if their work’s done. Now, some of them stay and some of them don’t, but I don’t walk the halls to see who’s here and who isn’t. So the one thing I’d say is we’re pretty efficient in everything we do, like we don’t waste time when we’re here. We’re working.”

That comment seemed to shock Urban Meyer, one of the podcast hosts, who had a different approach while winning three national championships at Ohio State and Florida. Indiana doesn't watch practice film after practice?

"No, we watch it in the morning," Cignetti said. "I like to watch practice film when I’m fresh, and I’m a morning guy. So Monday is a late night because we meet with players at five and we start our walk through around 7:30. And then everything else is like 2:15, right, and we’re done by 5:30. So those guys, if they got their work done, they go home and see their kids.”

A byproduct of this approach has been loyalty from his assistant coaches, perhaps most importantly defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.

Bryant Haines Indiana Football — Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines answers questions at Media Day during the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Haines' time with Cignetti dates back to 2014 at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, along with stops at Elon and James Madison, working his way up from defensive line coach to coordinator. Shanahan got his start with Cignetti in 2016 as IU-Pennsylvania's wide receivers coach, and then followed Cignetti to Elon and Madison.

Bringing Haines and Shanahan to Indiana helped ease Cignetti's transition from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten and jumpstart the Hoosiers' success, as they knew the system and standard their head coach demanded.

Haines won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant, and Shanahan called plays for the nation's third-highest scoring offense in 2025. Both received head coaching interest, but chose to stay with the Hoosiers.

Mike Shanahan Indiana football — Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan during fall practice at the Mellencamp Pavilion at Indiana University on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana's financial commitment is certainly part of the reason they're still in Bloomington. Haines is set to earn $3 million 2026, making him one of the nation's highest-paid coordinators. Shanahan will make $1.7 million in 2026 –– a significant jump from his $800,000 salary in 2024.

But Cignetti's efficient practice tactics and the way he treats his staff can't be overlooked as reasons why Haines and Shanahan remain at Indiana, and why the Hoosiers are in for another successful season in 2026.