What can we learn from IU football to apply to legal professional well-being?

Image courtesy of IU Alumni Association

In early October last year, I saw a colleague's spouse at the Indiana State Bar Association's annual meeting. They've been IU football season ticket holders and have hosted tail gates for many years, so our conversation turned to how much fun the team was to watch and how much we admired the new-to-us head coach, Curt Cignetti. As our conversation was coming to a close, she furrowed her brow and said, "I really hope we can win The Bucket this year." The Hoosiers did, in fact, win The Old Oaken Bucket game in 2024. Final score: Purdue 0, IU 66.

The 2024 Hoosiers ended the season 11-2, losing in the regular season to Ohio State (at The Shoe) and in the first round of the playoffs to Notre Dame (under the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus).

After those losses and the 2025 national championship game, where Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23, anytime IU was mentioned in the media, there was lots of "one-hit wonder" and "IU's a basketball school" talk. The general consensus seemed to be "that was fun, but IU football will be back to normal (losing) soon."

As a coach, I was super intrigued by everything I saw, heard, and read about Coach Curt Cignetti. As he tells it, he had a good assistant coach job that paid well at Alabama, and as his 50th birthday approached, he decided it was time to go after the thing he really wanted: a head coaching job. He found one at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II school, before making his way to Elon and James Madison on his journey to getting the IU job in November 2023.

To a lot of people, his shift made no sense. He left a prestigious job he was good at, making good money, at a time when he had kids who were close to heading to college. As someone who took a similar leap four years ago, I recognized and identified with his choice. Maybe, like me, he decided that the work he knew he was good at wasn't his to do anymore.

As the 2025 football season approached, the "one-hit wonder" rhetoric began again. Afterall, they had a new-to-them quarterback, so nobody other than the IU football team expected too much.

They won the pre-conference games, and the doubts persisted -- Can they beat Illinois at home? Iowa's a tough road game. They'll definitely get slaughtered at Oregon.

What did they do? They stayed focused on their system and kept winning. The HeisMendoza buzz started. Fernando Mendoza connected with Omar Cooper, Jr. as the clock was ticking down in Happy Valley to beat Penn State. They beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. As of this writing, the 13-0 Hoosiers are ranked #1 and are in Pasadena getting ready to play #9 Alabama at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Even with all of these wins, which I'd argue is proof that Coach Cignetti's system works, there are still doubters, which I attribute to IU football losing many games over many seasons. This leads to doubt that the story can change.

https://youtu.be/01J6QX4wdn0?si=dLosc0XgcjF5gpr6

Hear for yourself what IU football is all about

So what can we learn from IU football to apply to legal professional well-being?

1. Because something's "always been this way" doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

In the 60 Minutes story, Coach Cignetti talks about what he found when he got to IU -- namely neglected facilities and a fan base who bought into the losing narrative, neither of which met his standard. So he went about updating facilities and telling the fans and media that his system has worked in three other places he's been the head coach, over and over and over again, which is how we got the notorious, "I win. Google me." clip (and t-shirt).

This lesson applies to us legal professionals, too. We can remember our agency and use it to set our own standards for how we live and work. If your initial reaction to this declaration is, "No, I can't!," I invite you to get curious about why and spend some time exploring it. (And if you need some thought partnership, I can explore it with you, too.) It's about getting clear about what you want and need and the trade-offs involved with each choice.

2. Fast. Physical. Relentless. is an identity.

IU Football is Fast. Physical. Relentless. It's the standard that Coach Cignetti has set for each member of the team. It's posted all over the place. He says it all the time, as do his players, if you watch or listen to interviews. This identity -- IU Football is Fast. Physical. Relentless. -- is about how the players prepare, show up, and perform. It's in the control of each player to develop these traits. This focuses them on what they can control instead of what they can't, like how the other team shows up and how many points the other team scores.

This lesson applies to us legal professionals, too. I can choose how I show up, too. I've been working with Friendly. Curious. Generous. My practice to support these traits is different than developing Fast. Physical. Relentless., but the concept is the same. How do you want to show up in your work and life? What might it be like to focus on traits rather than outcomes?

3. One play at a time. Six seconds a play. Every play has a life and history of its own.

Coach Cignetti and his staff teach their players to focus on one play at a time, which lasts about six seconds, and has a life and history of its own. This focus on what's going on right here and right now is how Fernando Mendoza shakes off interceptions and sacks. It's how the defense makes a big stand or the offense makes a first down when they're third and long. I also see this in the comments from Coach Cignetti and the players during interviews over the course of the season. They were always focused on the next game instead of getting ahead of themselves. No need to get wrapped up in the past or the future because there's enough to focus on right here and right now.

This lesson applies to us legal professionals, too. Focusing on what's right here right now helps me stay out of rumination and overwhelm. It's not to say that I'm not informed by the past or plan for the future. The practice is to do so with a focus on what's happening right here. How might thinking about your professional practice in this way make your life a little bit easier?

4. Not affected by success. Not affected by failure.

I've heard Coach Cignetti say that he gives the team 24 hours to celebrate a win or mourn a loss. It's not about denying or bypassing the feelings that come along with success and failure. It's about setting a boundary. The feelings can have their life cycle, but they can't move in and set up camp in his team's hearts and minds. This one pairs with One play at a time because feelings arise around success and failure during games, too. Using the practice of One Play keeps it moving, like Ted Lasso coached, "Be a gold fish."

This lesson applies to us legal professionals, too. I can celebrate or mourn without getting tangled up in it. I can practice letting each play have a life of its own, whether that's a phone call, a client meeting, an email, a line of questioning, or an administrative task. How could Not affected by success. Not affected by failure. make your life easier?

5. Play to a standard, not the circumstances.

Results can change, but standards don't. I imagine this is why we sometimes see lopsided scores, which have led to comments about Coach Cignetti being a jerk or not showing mercy. The standard is Fast. Physical. Relentless., whatever the weather and the numbers on the scoreboard. This is integral to the system. Why were the facilities updated? Because they didn't meet the standard. The standards come first, then the wins, not the other way around.

This lesson applies to us legal professionals, too. Setting a standard helps me stay grounded whatever the circumstances. Sometimes the circumstances make it harder to be Friendly. Curious. Generous., like when I'm faced with naysayers or people who are frustrated or worried or angry or... or... or. Sometimes the circumstances make it easy to get distracted from Friendly. Curious. Generous., like when I'm not as well resourced and am among people who are very receptive to what I'm teaching. That's when I can slip into making our time together more about me rather than getting curious about what others need and offering what I can to them. Can you think of ways that you can use Play to a standard, not the circumstances, too?

I get it. Just like IU Football is facing a whole narrative shift, prioritizing well-being in law is also a major narrative shift. But it's only impossible until it's not, and I'm living proof that well-being is possible for legal professionals. I've found the way, and I can help you find yours, too. Start by coming to Flourishing Club, attending or watching an on-demand CLE, or by joining Unlock Easier. Together, we can change the standard of legal professional well-being for all of us, so we can better serve our clients.