Adam RittenbergJan 18, 2026, 06:45 AM ETCloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.Follow on X
Curt Cignetti has his mind on cracking open a beer after Indiana’s win (1:33)Curt Cignetti tells Molly McGrath he’d like to crack open a beer after Indiana defeats Oregon. (1:33)
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Indiana defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler pulled out his phone and displayed a meme of Gilbert Huph, the aptly named, ever-scowling insurance boss of fictional superhero Bob Parr from “The Incredibles.”
But rather than a dark suit and tie, Huph is wearing an Indiana polo shirt and a headset. His arms hang at his sides, and one eyebrow is slightly raised as he glares ahead.
“That’s the meme that they always send me,” Wheeler said. “It’s crazy to see how everybody looks at him from the outside in. It’s amazing.”
The Cignetti memes are multiplying during Indiana’s historic run through the College Football Playoff. Every IU game — and win — has added to Cignetti’s online presence.
While Cignetti’s first season at Indiana brought soundbites — namely, “I win. Google me” and “Purdue sucks, but so does Michigan and Ohio State” — his second year, which will culminate Monday against Miami in the CFP national championship game (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App), has been chronicled by images and videos. Many show the same steely expression, regardless of circumstance.
“It was always ‘Google me,’ but right now, it’s the eyebrow up,” Hoosiers guard Bray Lynch said. “I love that. We all love that.”
Indiana players and assistant coaches are well aware of the Cignetti phenomenon. Memes are often sent to them from friends and family. Some are circulated throughout the roster.
Running back Solomon Vanhorse’s girlfriend often directs him to TikTok, where memes await, such as the one from “The Incredibles.”
Another frequently shared item comes from the movie “Up,” when a curmudgeonly Carl Fredricksen leads Russell, the boisterous young wilderness explorer, as they lift up Fredricksen’s house with a balloon.
Cignetti, of course, is Fredricksen. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, known for smiles and bubbliness, is Russell.
The Cignetti memes have become so popular that Cignetti had to defend his demeanor before Indiana’s CFP semifinal matchup against Oregon in the Peach Bowl, declaring, “I do smile, and I am happy, at times.”
One of those times could be late Monday at Hard Rock Stadium, as Indiana seeks its first national title. Until then, the curiosity around Cignetti will continue to fester.
Indiana defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz is so consumed by his responsibilities during games that he doesn’t have time to glance toward Cignetti. Still, the memes find their way to him.
“I like when we’re getting after a team, and he still has that face of no satisfaction,” Kuntz said. “That’s probably my favorite.”
The contrast between Indiana’s dominant play and its coach’s seemingly fixed face has never been greater than during the CFP, where the Hoosiers have beaten Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25.
“I’m always just trying to anticipate, think ahead, because there’s a lot of critical decisions you’ve got to make that can affect the game,” Cignetti said at media day Saturday. “Trying to take emotion out of the equation.”
“He raises his eyebrow or he gets that smug look all the time, or it’s one of those straight-faced strikes, those are pretty fun to see,” wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. said.
Cignetti’s behavior before and after games has also become increasingly fascinating. Before the Peach Bowl, Cignetti walked on the field at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It’s like when you’re walking from your [airport] gate to go get food, and then you make sure your gate still exists,” Williams said, reciting the meme that Cignetti inspired.
“I get hit up all the time,” Kuntz said. “I’m not above answering a Facebook message from a person I knew 30 years ago. It’s endless, but I enjoy it. It’s wash, rinse, repeat.”
“Whether it’s during a walk-through or red zone period or third down, blitz pickup, he’s kind of got that look on his face,” said Shanahan, a Cignetti assistant since 2016. “Just taking it all in, evaluating the good, the bad, and always keeping that face on.”
Linebacker Aiden Fisher’s grandparents have never met Cignetti, but they’re obsessed with him. Partly because Cignetti gave their grandson an opportunity to play at James Madison, and then brought him to Indiana, where he has become a two-time All-Big Ten performer and the face of an elite defense.
Indiana’s players understand why Cignetti’s game-day demeanor has delighted so many. They’re entertained by him, too.
“You see the memes on Instagram or Twitter, and it’s funny, but it’s really just him,” Fisher said. “That’s the funniest part for us, seeing them.”
“How could he change his mindset, or change his emotions off of one play? That means we can change our emotions off of one play,” Wheeler said. “We have a standard, and if we play to that same standard, play 1 to 150, we’ll be good, just like how he keeps the same facial expression.”
“I didn’t even know at first if he smiled at all, until we started winning a lot,” Wheeler said. “I’m like, ‘Damn, he’s actually enjoying this.'”
Cignetti would enjoy nothing more than a national championship, his first as a head coach, at an Indiana program few expected to have the opportunity. Win or lose Monday, his sideline conduct will generate memes in bunches.
“We plan on winning, and it’ll just be amazing to see him, his reaction to us winning national championship,” Wheeler said. “I know he has a lot of pressure on his back, but all that goes away once you win the national championship.”
Curt Cignetti has his mind on cracking open a beer after Indiana’s win (1:33)Curt Cignetti tells Molly McGrath he’d like to crack open a beer after Indiana defeats Oregon. (1:33)
Curt Cignetti tells Molly McGrath he’d like to crack open a beer after Indiana defeats Oregon. (1:33)
CloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.Follow on X
I can’t look at #Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti without seeing Bob Parr’s insurance adjustor boss in The Incredibles. pic.twitter.com/qUek87Ly4M
Curt Cignetti has been brought to life, in animated form.
“It looks like Cignetti,” Vanhorse said. “That was the funniest one I’ve seen.”
“That sums it up pretty good,” Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan said while smiling.
“I like that one a lot,” added Indiana quarterback Alberto Mendoza, Fernando’s younger brother.
But when Cignetti gets into “coach mode,” as defensive back Devan Boykin said, it’s all business.
But mostly because of what they see during Indiana game broadcasts.
“They just love his swagger and the mojo that he has.”
The players also recognize why Cignetti conducts himself that way.