IU football coach Curt Cignetti hasn’t softened his approach after winning a national championship.
Just ask his new wide receiver Nick Marsh.
When Marsh arrived for Indiana’s first spring practice Thursday morning in Bloomington wearing flashy cleats, the Michigan State transfer got a quick introduction to how Cignetti runs the program.
“I didn’t love those gold shoes he (Marsh) came out in today,” Cignetti said when he spoke with the media after 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.”
Marsh is expected to be a starter for IU in 2026, and a contender for All-Big Ten and perhaps even national honors.
And that’s likely a major reason why he drew Cignetti’s ire right away. The third-year IU coach knows Marsh’s potential, and he knows his still young wideout needs to quickly adapt to the team-first approach in Bloomington.
Marsh scored touchdowns against Indiana in each of the last two seasons. He had seven catches for 64 yards and a score in Bloomington this past season, and five catches for 78 yards and a score in 2024 in East Lansing.
Earlier this year Cignetti heaped praise on his new receiver.
“I’ve seen Nick Marsh two years in a row, up close and personal,” Cignetti said on the Bison Drops podcast. “Then when you’re getting ready to play whoever, sometimes you get Michigan State in the exchange (to watch film). I still remember his Maryland game in 2024, when he would’ve been a true freshman, catching a couple posts. That guy’s always been very impressive.”
Marsh doesn’t turn 20 until Oct. 1. So he’s still just beginning to tap into his potential, and still likely needs to mature.
And this isn’t the first time Cignetti has gone public with the way he reprimanded a player. In 2024 he made it clear he was unhappy with an interception celebration by safety Amare Ferrell at UCLA.
Cignetti was likely looking for an opportunity to make a statement this week.
Cignetti noted that the coaches have “more work to do with this group than the first two teams” because the staff hasn’t known as many of the key contributors very long. And Marsh embodies that as much as anyone.
But it isn’t personal.
Ferrell has been a two-year starter for Cignetti and he’s back for a third season. Marsh has two years of eligibility remaining and projects to be a star for IU. He’s already proven to be on the fearless side: He’ll be the first player at IU to wear No. 11 since Antwaan Randle El.
In 2025 Marsh had 59 catches for 662 yards and six touchdowns. He led MSU in all of those categories and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
While he gave Marsh a rude awakening Thursday, Cignetti likes the early path forged by his new receiver.
“He’s really worked hard, done a great job for us,” Cignetti said
