What Indiana Football's Curt Cignetti, Miami's Mario Cristobal Said Before National Title

MIAMI — Indiana shot coach Curt Cignetti and Miami coach Mario Cristobal met pinch nan media Sunday greeting astatine nan JW Marriott Marquis successful Miami to preview nan College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which kicks disconnected astatine 7:30 p.m. Monday astatine Hard Rock Stadium.

Here's what Cignetti and Cristobal told reporters during their 30-minute property conference. The transcript is courtesy of ASAP Sports.

Opening statements ...

CURT CIGNETTI: Thank you. Great to beryllium present successful Miami. About a time and a half of mentation near to benignant of sharpen nan saw, truthful to speak. Really sewage a batch of respect for nan Miami Hurricane statement shot program. When you watch these guys connected tape, they really play nan crippled pinch tenacity, intensity, physical, relentless, get aft it. Coach Cristobal has done a awesome occupation pinch that program, and it's going to beryllium a immense situation for our shot team, and looking guardant to nan game.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Congratulations to Coach Cignetti and his shot programme for a tremendous season. Really appreciative of everyone progressive surrounding this crippled for providing america pinch nan amenities. Obviously we're astatine location truthful we get to usage our ain facilities, but everything other regarding preparation, which is truthful important. And proud of our players and looking guardant to continuing our people of mentation for this opportunity.

Q. Mario, I'm wondering if you consciousness for illustration nan targeting norm that suspends a subordinate for nan first half of nan adjacent crippled if it happens successful nan 2nd half should beryllium revisited, considering nan consequences it's going to person perchance for this game?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Certainly do. We consciousness it was unjustly administered, and now it impacts nan past crippled of nan season. We do person nan ability, again, arsenic an officiating unit and nan powers that beryllium to revisit that to springiness each squad owed process and their champion expertise to compete successful this game.

Q. You perceive coaches talk a batch astir uncovering your whys. Why person you dedicated your life to football?

CURT CIGNETTI: I grew up nan boy of a coach. I was nan oldest of four. Where he's from, everybody was a steelworker aliases ember miner, and it seemed for illustration a beautiful cool point to do for a living. When we went to West Virginia successful 1970 and I was connected nan sideline for each nan location games, it was Bobby Bowden's first twelvemonth arsenic a caput coach successful West Virginia, I beautiful overmuch knew successful my bosom what I wanted to do. I don't cognize what other I would person done different than coach, to beryllium honorable pinch you.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I emotion football. I was a shot subordinate that wasn't very bully and sewage cut. By nan grace of God, Dennis Lavelle, caput shot coach of Columbus High School, was stepping by nan hallway said you should effort and play football. Coach Jimmy Johnson scooped up my relative and I and offered america scholarships to University of Miami. We were capable to beryllium portion of a historical run, and loved each facet of it. Two parents that couldn't show you what a first down was aliases what a touchdown was, but nan thrust they enjoyed pinch us, nan travel they went connected pinch america and nan measurement our lives were impacted made maine recognize I wanted to beryllium portion of shot and shot portion of my life for my career.

Q. For some coaches, your journeys person been different to get to this path, but conscionable what you tin opportunity astir possibly nan astir rewarding portion of moving pinch your circumstantial student-athletes and what it's been for illustration to lead this group this play to this last moment.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I deliberation it's twofold. I deliberation oftentimes we don't mention nan truth that I person learned -- we person learned arsenic a unit arsenic overmuch from our players arsenic we could ever thatch them. That's awesome.

But nan truth that you tin change nan people and beryllium nan past pit extremity for these young men arsenic they spell to nan adjacent measurement for nan remainder of their lives is legitimately impactful successful truthful galore ways and helps you beryllium a amended father, a amended husband, a amended leader, and I deliberation that it besides grants america nan opportunity to impart immoderate of that knowledge and immoderate of those ways upon them, and hopefully they tin transportation that pinch them.

CURT CIGNETTI: You know, we person a seasoned team. These guys person started a batch of games. Big Ten Media Day, personification mentioned that we had much profession starts going into nan play by acold than immoderate different team.

This group has tried to use nan message. To me, it's each astir messaging and getting everybody to deliberation alike, successful position of really we want to play connected nan section much truthful than immoderate different group.

This group has awesome leadership, intelligence and character. They're highly close. While each of our teams astatine nan extremity of nan twelvemonth person ended up really, really good, I deliberation this squad has immoderate typical qualities, and their expertise to spell connected nan roadworthy and triumph adjacent games, backmost playing his champion pinch nan crippled connected nan line, erstwhile everything appeared to beryllium down and out.

But there's 1 much section to write, and we're going to find retired successful astir 36 hours.

Q. Mario, Rueben sewage wounded connected nan first aliases 2nd play of nan play past year, and he came back, but he wasn't this type of Rueben Bain. Do you deliberation going done what he went done for those first fewer weeks past play benignant of reinvigorated nan joyousness successful him a small spot arsenic acold arsenic what nan crippled means, and person you still seen that joyousness erstwhile he plays now?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Seems for illustration each existent competitor takes those setbacks and turns it into thing affirmative that launches them and elevates their crippled and their tone and their expertise to beryllium a awesome teammate, and I deliberation this is simply a cleanable lawsuit and an illustration of that.

Rueben Bain was calved and raised down present successful South Florida and was ever a immense portion of nan community, and it was his dream to play for nan Miami Hurricanes, and him watching connected nan sideline conscionable stoked a occurrence successful him wherever he conscionable refused to beryllium denied going forward.

Now that he's afloat healthy, he dedicated himself this off-season to staying astatine his optimal weight, which is astir 275, and trimmed down his assemblage fat, surely accrued his thin musculus mass. He's go a awesome leader, and now he's, I would say, assured capable to beryllium outspoken arsenic a leader, arsenic well, which is simply a monolithic measurement for him and his expertise connected this squad and this organization has been awesome.

Q. Your 2 programs person very different histories. I'm wondering what a National Championship would mean for each of your programs connected Monday.

CURT CIGNETTI: It would mean we're nan nationalist champion.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: It would mean we're nan nationalist champions.

Q. What does winning look for illustration too nan last score? What are you implementing into your players time successful and time out?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Oh, you instrumentality everything successful that building that you do successful your very ain household. You cognize what comes up a batch nowadays, nan mobility of really person you changed pinch nan advent of nan transportation portal and NIL and each that stuff. The reply is ever nan same. If you person to alteration nan measurement you thatch and coach and dainty group because you fearfulness an facet that has been introduced to nan game, you were ne'er doing it right.

It's existent elemental for us. Every azygous time we move each ounce of our beingness into doing for our players precisely what we do for our very ain sons and daughters successful our households. Our very elemental philosophy. It's not perfect, but surely nan intentions down it will be.

CURT CIGNETTI: You know, I deliberation nan crippled of football, applied correctly, teamwork, leadership, commitment, discipline, activity ethic, sacrifice, perseverance, resiliency, relentlessness, a batch of qualities that tin thief group go much successful later successful life.

Q. Coach Cignetti, I wonderment if you're expecting astir 100 coaches to show up successful Bloomington this outpouring to effort to transcript your blueprint, and do you spot a batch of programs for illustration Indiana nether nan radar that could beryllium positioned to make a tally for illustration you have?

CURT CIGNETTI: Well, I'm judge we've sewage immoderate people's attention. I'm not 1 to entertain visitors excessively overmuch successful nan office. I for illustration to watch portion and support increasing and learning.

I don't cognize really nan reply to nan 2nd question. I deliberation thing is imaginable pinch nan correct commitment, leadership, blueprint, scheme and people.

Q. Coach Cignetti, increasing up arsenic a young kid pinch your dada astir and immoderate of nan different legendary coaches you grew up with, Bobby Bowden and a young Nick Saban, what are immoderate of nan lessons you learned aliases moreover experiences that really impacted you arsenic a young whippersnapper that really stuck pinch you?

CURT CIGNETTI: You know, I deliberation my dada was a awesome leader, but he led by example. He had a definite beingness to him. He had a awesome activity ethic and discipline. He overcame crab twice, my elder twelvemonth of precocious schoolhouse erstwhile he was a caput coach astatine West Virginia. He was fixed his past rites twice. Never really sewage to rather decorativeness what he started there.

Coach Bowden, I tin vividly retrieve a crippled astatine Maryland astatine halftime successful nan locker room, thing that will instrumentality pinch maine everlastingly successful position of him and nan team. I'm not going to stock that message.

But I conscionable deliberation I learned a batch from my dada and nan game. Always knew what I wanted to do and drew from each personification passim my career, adjunct and caput coach. While my travel is very unique, I deliberation it did hole maine for this peculiar opportunity and nan changes that person taken spot successful assemblage football.

Q. What was it for illustration to locomotion disconnected nan believe section for nan last clip yesterday knowing really overmuch these players person put into it, physically, mentally, emotionally passim nan people of an full play and what they're putting disconnected physically to scope this level? What's benignant of nan enslaved and nan emotion that each 1 of you person for your teams and nan players and what they've experienced?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Well, yesterday was a emblematic Thursday believe and I deliberation nan processes themselves are nary different than immoderate different Thursday, but each squad is unique. Every 1 is uniquely typical and different and has brought thing different to nan lives of each nan group astir them.

But I don't spot america getting caught up successful immoderate nostalgic moments aliases whatnot. I conscionable really consciousness that our squad was really focused, that they were really intent connected carrying retired nan remainder of nan day's processes, knowing nan tremendous opportunity that we have. That's really we closed retired nan evening, and that's really we sewage fresh this greeting to spell and proceed our process.

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, I deliberation starring up to this game, there's been a batch of pro Indiana hype, a batch of rat poison retired there. I happened to spot beatified roseate point connected societal media this greeting astir our guys hugging each different astatine nan extremity of practice. It is simply a adjacent team. I've witnessed rather a spot of sentimentalism passim nan week from immoderate of our seniors who we've been pinch rather a agelong time.

I deliberation it's clip to sharpen nan saw now, propulsion those lukewarm fuzzies retired nan door, that sentimentalism. It's clip to spell play a crippled against a awesome opponent.

We've sewage to person a crisp separator going into this game. You don't spell to warfare pinch lukewarm beverage and cookies.

Q. Coach Cristobal, overmuch has been made astir nan transportation portal, but erstwhile you look astatine nan guys that are having an effect connected your squad this year, galore of them are recruits and hometown guys erstwhile you deliberation astir Mark, Malachi, Rueben and nan like. Talk astir still nan value of recruiting precocious schoolhouse athletes, particularly locally, arsenic well.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I mean, it's ever astatine nan halfway of your program. You for illustration to person group travel successful erstwhile they're conscionable starting to study and understand what it is to play astatine nan assemblage level and go a student-athlete astatine nan collegiate level, arsenic well.

I deliberation nan champion portion astir what assemblage shot is now pinch each nan things we person to hole is nan truth that they're introduced to a very divers locker room, right. And if you look astatine Miami and nan metropolis and our programme and each floors, wherever nan coaches are, improvement staff, academics, we travel successful each size, shape, tegument color, ethnicity, speak conscionable astir each azygous language, and it's awesome.

When your section guys go salient players it really galvanizes nan community, but I deliberation what's helped america proceed to elevate is nan truth that we're very national, and we've travel from each over, and present group are accepted and group are driven, and if they emotion to activity hard, if they are precocious achieving mentalities, if they attraction astir doing things nan correct measurement and pushing themselves successful nan schoolroom and connected nan field, past they're going to get on great. And that's what I deliberation we're starting to spot a batch much of, and that was nan first situation to get america going and reasoning successful that direction.

I'm not judge if I answered your question, but I dream that benignant of encompasses a small spot astir nan section positive nan out-of-state guys.

Q. Yesterday I said pinch Carson Beck, and we talked astir his experiences pinch playing successful nan National Championship, and arsenic you guys know, this isn't thing caller for him. He's done this earlier twice, has 2 rings and soon to beryllium three. You said astir mentality. Talk to maine astir Carson Beck's activity pinch starring this Miami team.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I'm a large believer of Carson Beck. Like him, our full squad connected November 1, 2025, did not person very overmuch affirmative power surrounding them.

I deliberation Carson Beck epitomizes nan expertise to return an adverse business and move it into thing not only affirmative but thing that helps 1 turn and strengthen and go a stronger and amended type of themselves.

I deliberation he's nan astir knowledgeable subordinate successful nan College Football Playoffs, and I deliberation that since nan time he arrived, and this shows again really savvy and really knowledgeable he is, he couldn't participate successful outpouring ball, but yet each walkthrough, each meeting, thing post-practice, pre-practice, thing extracurricular of football, he was very overmuch spearheading gatherings, opportunities to galvanize nan full squad truthful that they understood and knew not only did he cognize what he was doing and that he was a high-level subordinate but that he was consenting to do thing for nan team.

That's his only concern. He's not very -- he's not caught up successful individual accolades aliases awards. He wants to win, and he's consenting to do thing to win.

Q. For Coach Cignetti, first of all, you person a chance tomorrow nighttime to do thing that Bob Knight did, and that's spell undefeated and untied to triumph nan National Championship. What are your thoughts astir Bob Knight, to statesman with, and what you person to a chance to do tomorrow night? Because evidently he's revered connected that campus.

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, it was 50 years ago, arsenic a matter of fact, and I was a large Bob Knight instrumentality arsenic a small kid. I liked benignant of nan shenanigans and nan faces astatine nan property conferences and throwing nan chair crossed nan court. I thought that was beautiful cool. And nan feline I bought my location from was a large friend of Bob Knight, actually.

But it really has nary effect connected what's going to return spot present astatine 7:50 tomorrow night. But it was 50 years ago, and if we're capable to climb that mountain, it'll beryllium a unsocial coincidence.

Q. Mario, you evidently entered nan tourney arsenic nan No. 10 seed. How overmuch did that thrust you to beryllium a batch of group wrong, that you surely believed you merit to beryllium wherever you're going to beryllium astatine tomorrow nighttime to decorativeness nan job? Because a batch of times group usage that arsenic information to get to a tournament.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Yes, sir. I don't deliberation nan outer worldly has ever been a motivator for our team. I deliberation it's ever been internal. I deliberation our guys ever want to beryllium themselves right, and I deliberation nan assurance and nan spot successful each different was thing that conscionable continued to build momentum passim nan people of nan season, and it was a matter of conscionable yet looking astatine each other, looking successful nan reflector and making a committedness to activity retired nan specifications to let america to triumph successful nan margins conscionable because assemblage shot nowadays nan margins are truthful small. If you don't ain those details, you're going to get your butt hit connected immoderate fixed day.

I deliberation it was each that. I deliberation it was internally driven, and proud of them for that. But I deliberation there's an appetite and there's an acknowledgment that there's a batch much betterment to beryllium had and to beryllium made, and I deliberation that we've worked really difficult complete nan people of nan playoffs to continually get better.

Q. For some coaches, pinch nan transportation portal having been unfastened for nan past fewer weeks, really do you guarantee that that buzz astir nan portal doesn't distract your squad and players?

CURT CIGNETTI: I deliberation we're beyond that constituent now. The first play it opened wherever you could person charismatic visitors and had commitments, I had to woody pinch it nan pursuing time very briefly, and aft that I thought we were fine. It's a reality of assemblage football, and I deliberation nan players understand it's a reality. It doesn't mean they judge aliases respond to nan consequences of it very good each nan time, but I don't spot it arsenic a large issue.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: You grip it for illustration you grip everything. You grip it pinch honesty and transparency and put your cards connected nan array and do your champion to get group to put their cards connected nan array and run from that standpoint. I deliberation thing extracurricular of that, immoderate measurement it useful out, it was meant to be.

Q. Coach Cristobal, erstwhile you were recruited by Miami, you said Michael Irvin said immoderate prime words to you that inspired you to go a Miami Hurricane. Recently Michael Irvin kissed you connected nationalist TV --

MARIO CRISTOBAL: On nan cheek, by nan way.

Q. Have you sat down pinch Michael and group immoderate boundaries? Or arsenic agelong arsenic you're winning, Michael Irvin tin do immoderate he wants to do?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I'd alternatively not get kissed by Michael Irvin. He was a awesome teammate. In fact, he was 1 of nan benignant of hosts erstwhile I was connected an charismatic sojourn astatine nan University of Miami. That was a time and property that I don't cognize if it'll ever beryllium duplicated, and I opportunity each nan time, I'm a nobody. I'm a section kid that by nan grace of God, Gary Stevens believed successful my relative and I and brought america complete to nan University of Miami, and Jimmy Johnson gave america a scholarship. Again, it changed everything.

But I went to practices each nan time, and I was truthful attracted to that brotherhood. Like I wanted to beryllium 1 of those dawgs. Those guys were dawgs. They were competitors. They were relentless, and I wanted to beryllium portion of it. I conscionable didn't cognize if I was ever going to beryllium bully enough. So I was excited but I was terrified.

I soon learned that erstwhile you were portion of that brotherhood, you're everlastingly different. I deliberation unless you're a Miami Hurricane, that's difficult to understand.

Seeing each those guys travel back, and not conscionable nan Hall of Famers and nan celebrated guys but nan third- and fourth-string feline that possibly ne'er sewage a chance to play but is doing truthful good successful life and has an awesome family, seeing each these guys travel backmost aft 20 years of not being astir and really not having nan support that Miami needed, I deliberation it's awesome. Our players emotion seeing them.

They cognize that coaches coach and that -- nan full buss thing, I'm ne'er going to unrecorded that down. Look, that feline is simply a relative to me. So are each those guys. We're very honored and fortunate to person them pinch america for nan ride.

Q. As you guys caput into nan past crippled of nan 2025-2026 season, really would you picture your team's identity?

CURT CIGNETTI: You're talking astir last mentation until kickoff? Is that what you're talking about?

For us, it's a emblematic Friday, time earlier a game. We person a definite point we do earlier crippled 1, crippled 6, we'll do earlier this game. It's my occupation to do everything I tin to make judge our squad is wholly prepared and has nan correct mindset going successful truthful they tin put it connected nan section and play 1 to 150. So coming will beryllium nary different than immoderate different Friday earlier a Saturday game.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: Yeah, it's beautiful overmuch nan aforesaid response. It's Friday, and Friday has its ain process, nan things that we do, and surely we're not going to break those things. I deliberation our players wouldn't expect thing else.

Q. Coach Cignetti, nan National Championship crippled is simply a challenge, obviously, successful and of itself, nan truth that you will beryllium connected Miami's sideline, but successful nan stadium that they telephone home. What benignant of other motivator is that, that this is -- I cognize your alumni recreation highly well, but this is going to beryllium considered a roadworthy crippled for you guys. What benignant of motivator is that for your kids?

CURT CIGNETTI: I'm not judge it's a motivator. It is what it is; it's factual. This is wherever Miami plays their location shot games, and we're playing a crippled against them pinch a batch connected nan line. That's it, plain and simple.

Q. Mario, you had nan very unsocial opportunity of playing for National Championships arsenic a player, and now you're doing it arsenic a caput coach. How is nan acquisition nan same, different? Is 1 much meaningful than nan other?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I mean, it's process correct now, and I dislike to springiness you a boring answer. I do. I cognize that surely haven't lit up this property convention by immoderate stretch. But it's what we do.

I deliberation that erstwhile you -- I deliberation definite things you bespeak upon aft nan play and erstwhile it's done. There's nary worth correct now successful getting disconnected course, successful getting disconnected your process.

That's wherever nan full attraction is. That's what nan mentality has ever been, and that's what it is coming and each nan measurement done tomorrow. Then aft that, I deliberation nan mobility will astir apt person a much eventful response.

Q. Coach Cignetti, what benignant of situation does Miami's protect statement springiness you guys connected Monday?

CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah, I deliberation that's wherever it each starts successful shot is up beforehand connected some sides of nan ball. I deliberation very impressive. They're deep. They're twitchy. They're strong. They're violent. I cognize Corey likes that connection "violent."

They're philosophically very akin to america successful position of disruption, TFLs, sacks, extremity nan run, they conscionable do it a small different way. The ends are premier players. The wrong guys are very, very good. They're 2 heavy everywhere, and they're difficult to block. They do a bully occupation of tying nan full package successful to support you disconnected balance, and they'll beryllium a large challenge.

Q. Coach Cristobal, arsenic you were training and studying to go a concealed work agent, tin you picture really tormented you were internally erstwhile you kept reasoning astir your emotion of football, and what was that infinitesimal for illustration erstwhile you yet decided you were going to pursuit that dream?

MARIO CRISTOBAL: It was thing that I benignant of ever envisioned myself doing, moving for nan Federal Government. I loved each facet of it. My family has ever been successful rule enforcement, rule enforcement, teachers, building workers. That's benignant of what you do. Come to this country, return 2 jobs, spell to nighttime school. Not me, my parents, obviously.

But I wanted to beryllium in, and I honestly took nan GA occupation hoping that I could coach 1 day. But not knowing.

It's almost like, man, I'll ne'er person a changeable to do so. Once you're in, you get your first sensation of it, and backmost past location was only 1 GA. Now there's 44 analysts connected each broadside of nan ball. Back past you had to do each card. I had done each azygous ounce of film, making astir $1.70 an hour, moving 22-hour days and a glutton for punishment. I loved it.

I retrieve being astatine nan Gator Bowl pinch a bunch of nan players, Young -- you mightiness cognize these names -- Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Ed Reed. Those guys were young pups. And backmost past didn't person a compartment phone, sewage a pager, telephone so-and-so typical agent, adjunct to nan typical agent, Secret Service Miami for your assignment to travel connected successful and join, and that's erstwhile it deed you, for illustration whoa.

But slept connected it. I woke up successful a panic. I emotion football. I've ever loved football. Didn't really play for anybody other aliases want it for anybody -- I conscionable loved it. And I wasn't consenting to fto that opportunity spell again. By nan grace of God, I was capable to move my worldly backmost to my GA office, which Davis Larry Coker took maine backmost and gave maine nan opportunity.

Q. When you look backmost astatine some of your teams from wherever you started astatine nan opening of nan twelvemonth to wherever you are today, what would you opportunity is nan biggest soul maturation that you see, and what makes you astir proud of each of them?

CURT CIGNETTI: Well, nan first play of nan crippled successful our opener, Old Dominion went 80 yards for a touchdown connected a backmost run, truthful we were down 7-0, conscionable for illustration that.

I deliberation we've built connected our successes. Success brings belief, which brings assurance and much success, and repetition -- repetition is nan mother of learning, you get better. With immoderate large roadworthy crippled wins, we developed much belief and assurance that we were a resilient shot squad and could flooded immoderate benignant of expected challenge.

So I deliberation nan squad grew rather a spot and has put itself successful position to beryllium wherever we are today.

MARIO CRISTOBAL: I deliberation crippled 1 opened up our eyes. I deliberation nan full state expected america not to do good against a awesome squad successful Notre Dame. That built our assurance successful a big-time measurement and had america going nan correct way. And we sewage section rushed successful Dallas complete astatine SMU, and reality hit, and everyone connected our shot programme saw that graphic, that edit, Miami has a 5 percent chance to make it into nan postseason.

I deliberation that's what galvanized us. I deliberation we realized we had to attack each and each time pinch being nan astir excited, nan astir energetic squad connected nan section and that pre-snap and post-snap subject had to beryllium astatine nan forefront and that shot information couldn't beryllium compromised and neither could shot disruption, that you had to beryllium beingness and find a measurement to out-hit your force connected each azygous play.

It had to mean much to you than it did to nan different side, and I deliberation those principles conscionable continued to push america guardant truthful that if we practiced successful that manner, past we could gain nan correct to trim it loose connected crippled day. As those games person travel on, we person gotten amended and amended and still person a batch to improve, and looking guardant to tomorrow night.