It’s a custom of the college football season for head coaches across the nation to meet with the media towards the beginning of the week and discuss the prior week’s matchup and preview their upcoming test. Fans are often privy to the quotes coming out of their own team’s HQ, but what about their upcoming opponents’?
Let’s take a look at some of the quotes that Penn State’s head coach Terry Smith had to say that referenced Indiana specifically in his Monday press conference.
Q: Opening statement.
“… We have a great opportunity this week to play a great Indiana team. Curt Cignetti is a friend of mine. He reached out to me when all this went down, so I am appreciative to him. He’s a Pittsburgh guy and we go way back from his dad being a coach at IUP, and I know the whole family. It’s a great relationship and just looking forward to being home in Beaver Stadium in front of our fans.”
Q: You mentioned Curt Cignetti in your opening statement. You’ve seen Indiana over the past dozen years with its ups and downs. What has stood out about how he got this program to this point so quickly?
“Yeah, he’s an outstanding coach. His entire family, they’re just all men that have been coaching. You know, he has a methodical approach to things. He’s a player developer. He runs a great program. Obviously, at JMU and all the places he’s been; Elon, just everywhere he’s had success. Guys buy into the program and once you get buy-in and trust, you go do some special things. That’s what he’s doing right now. He’s got those guys playing as good as anyone in the country. I respect everything he’s doing and he’s doing it the right way.”