One of Curt Cignetti’s favorite mantras is “how you do something is how you do everything.”
For the IU head coach, it seems that guiding principle extends beyond the football field.
Because the more we learn about the 65-year-old, it seems what he does one day is what he does every day.
As if stuck in his own version of the movie Groundhog Day, Cignetti eats the same food, wears the same clothes, and listens to the same song on his way to Memorial Stadium. We’re still working to confirm if “I’ve Got You Babe” plays on his alarm clock.
In the buildup to the national title game, a tidbit about Cignetti’s lunch habit was revealed: He eats the same Chipotle burrito bowl (rice, beans and chicken, and a side of guacamole) nearly every day.
“He just wants to be able to eat it, watch his film and get ready for the next game,” Indiana assistant director of football operations and Cignetti burrito runner Jake McDonald told the Wall Street Journal. “He’s a simple man.”
During the 2025 season people started to notice Cignetti was wearing the same clothes to the office and on the practice field every day: A black 2024 College Football Playoff quarter zip with black pants. He kept wearing the 2024 model even after winning the 2025 national title.
“I like the way it feels. I like the material. It’s a longer cut than the 2025-26. And I got a lot of ’em,” Cignetti said in a BTN interview earlier this year. “You know, it’s one less decision I’ve gotta make every day.”
The latest aspect of Cignetti’s life he revealed is running on repeat is the song he listens to on the way to work.
He was asked by FOX’s Tom Rinaldi if he had his own hype song, what song came to mind.
Cignetti has introduced a bit of his hometown Pittsburgh flavor to IU football games. Those towels the fans wave were inspired by the Steelers’ Terrible Towels.
And that run out song? It’s prominent at Steelers home games and on the Pittsburgh radio broadcast. It also occupies a good portion of Cignetti’s drive to the office every day.
“We play Thunderstruck at the stadium when we run out,” Cignetti told Rinaldi. “So I actually play it on my way to work every morning. It just gets me ready.”
After a 16-0 season that culminated in a national championship, it doesn’t make much sense for Cignetti to change much of anything when it comes to his day-to-day routine.
The Pittsburgh-based weather man in Groundhog Day was stuck in the same day on repeat. Bill Murray’s character eventually figured out how to make that same day work to his advantage.
Things are going pretty good for Cignetti too.
And it seems like a safe bet not much will be changing anytime soon for the Pittsburgh native football coach.
