Accountability to the Standard Keeps Indiana’s Culture Rolling

Since day one of the Curt Cignetti Era there has been a program standard that has to be met every sinlge day in the Indiana football facility. Players,coaches and even fans can recite it. That standard has led Indiana to a 27-2 record with Big Ten and College Football Playoff Championship to Bloomington. How it is used to keep everyone accountable to each other has created the culture of the present day Indiana football program.

“Well, I mean, that’s culture. That’s leadership. That’s where having guys that have been in the program and been successful, they have strong character and are smart, helps. I like to recruit good players that are smart and have strong character because you can do a lot with guys like that.” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said on Thursday in Chicago at the Big Ten’s annual media days event.

Standards do not mean a thing if they are not used to hold everyone in the building accountable. Every office, school and team claims to have standards. If there is no accountability, that standard is worthless. However, Indiana’s standards are as real as their record over the last 29 games.

“Not not being up to the standard is not what got us where we went.” Senior linebacker Isaiah Jones said. “When you know what it takes and you know how hard you have to work, and you know it comes down to the fine details. If you’re not executing those fine details, whether it’s myself or whether it’s a freshman walk-on, we’re all held to the same standard, and I think that’s what makes our team so great.”

One of the national media’s favorite talking points this off-season has been how will IU’s culture continue after all but one James Madison transfer remains. It’s pretty simple.

“I’m going to get asked about the JMU guys.” Cignetti said in his opening statement. “All the guys that have been with us for two years that were at Indiana my first year, they’re the JMU guys, okay.”

What Does Holding People Accountable Look Like for Indiana Football?

Different organizations have different ways of enforcing the standard and that’s no different at IU. Ultimately it comes down to one thing. If you aren’t living up to the standard, the only one you’re hurting is yourself.

Indiana offensive lineman Carter Smith gave an example.

“Maybe we’re doing like rows or something, and you’re supposed to do eight. Maybe they do six. (I’ll say) ‘What are you doing? You’re only hurting yourself. Like, why would you want to hurt your own performance and enhancement rather than you know, just putting that extra effort into for the team.'” Smith said.

Smith acknowledged that while other player have all responded positively, diferent people have different types of responses to being held accountable.

“You have to approach it maybe a little more aggressively (at the beginning).” Smith explained. “There have been guys that in the past and maybe it’s a little harder to get through. But again, people deal with stressors and stuff like that in their own ways. It’s just about making sure that they at least hear you, rather than you just keep on pushing, pushing. You get sick of it. It just hits. It needs to be a little more subtle sometimes.”

Jones had an even clearer message on what happens to players who fail to meet the standard.

“I think if you’re not up to the standard, one, you’re going to be you’re going to be pulled along, or two, you probably won’t be with the team that long.” Jones said.

It Started at the Top and is Now Rooted in the Ground

An organization’s culture always starts at the top and Indiana is no different. Cignetti set the standard and it trickled down to his staff, who has been with him a long time and then to the players themselves.

“(The coaches) are not with us all day and then that’s when the players and the leaders step up. You see what the standard is from Coach Cig, from Coach Haines, from Coach Shanahan, and then it’s on the leaders to implement it and to patrol it.” Jones said. “I feel like even if it’s not a leader young guys call young guys out as well. Everyone kind of knows what the standard is and knows what it takes to play elite football at Indiana University. And I think that’s what makes us all so good. We all have such high standards for each other, but then an even higher standard for ourselves. I think that’s what makes it special.”

What makes a great culture is that it does not matter what the turnover is, it stays the same. There is more turnover in college football now than ever before making the standard set by Cignetti and the ability for everyone in the building to hold each other accountable even more important.