Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti walked into the College Football Hall of Fame on Thursday morning without realizing how personal the moment would feel.
Cignetti and Oregon coach Dan Lanning addressed reporters ahead of Friday’s Peach Bowl matchup between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks, but the setting shifted the tone, SI reports. The building honors Cignetti’s late father, Frank, who earned induction in 2013.
Cignetti admitted the timing caught him off guard. He learned only after landing in Atlanta that the press conference would take place inside the Hall of Fame. That realization hit harder knowing he missed the original induction ceremony years ago due to fall camp obligations. Thursday marked his first visit to the building that celebrates his father’s legacy.
When asked what lessons still resonate, Cignetti did not hesitate. He described his dad as a leader who set standards through actions, not speeches. Strength, consistency, and accountability shaped their household, especially during their West Virginia years when expectations ran high. As the oldest child, Cignetti felt those pressures early, but he credits that environment for sharpening his focus and work ethic.
A larger-than-life presence that still resonates
Cignetti summed up his father’s personality with a vivid comparison. He said Frank carried a mix of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, tough, direct, and unwavering. That presence extended beyond football. Cignetti noted he still receives messages from former players who say his father changed their lives at West Virginia and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Those stories matter to him more now than ever. Cignetti said he knew by third grade that coaching would become his path, guided by what he calls his dad’s “pearls of wisdom.” Standing inside the Hall of Fame offered a quiet reminder of where that journey began, just hours before Indiana prepares for one of its biggest stages of the season.
