Indiana’s rise from college football obscurity to the very top of the sport has been nothing short of stunning.
Just a few seasons ago, the Hoosiers were stuck in a rut, stumbling through losing years and searching for direction.
Now, after a dramatic 27–21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff final, they’re national champions — and their head coach, Curt Cignetti, is at the center of it all.
From Strugglers to Title Winners
When Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, Indiana was coming off a brutal stretch that saw the program limp to a 9–26 record over three seasons.
Expectations were modest at best. Fast forward to today, and he’s engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds the sport has seen, transforming the Hoosiers into a disciplined, confident, title-winning machine.
The Daily Habit Behind the Scenes
Amid the playbooks, film sessions and high-pressure decisions, Cignetti relies on an almost comically simple daily ritual to keep himself going.
According to the program’s assistant director of football operations, Jake McDonald, the coach eats the exact same Chipotle burrito bowl every single day — rice, beans, chicken and guacamole — without exception, unless the team is on the road.
Film, Food and Focus
McDonald, who has been responsible for picking up that order for the past two years, says the routine fits Cignetti perfectly.
There’s no fuss, no variety and no debate about what’s for lunch.
The goal is efficiency. Eat, watch film, move on to the next opponent.
As McDonald put it, Cignetti is “a simple man” who prefers consistency over culinary adventure.
A Perk for the Messenger
While Cignetti doesn’t personally pay for his daily bowl, McDonald benefits in an unexpected way.
All the reward points from those endless Chipotle runs land in his own account.
Over time, that’s added up to a staggering number of purchases — roughly 64,000 bowls’ worth in points, equivalent to about $6,400.
After Indiana’s semifinal victory over Oregon, McDonald’s account held enough points for free burritos, mountains of guacamole, piles of chips and even hundreds of extra tortillas.
Chipotle Takes Notice
The fast-casual giant is well aware of the coach’s loyalty.
A spokesperson confirmed the company has been in touch with Cignetti’s camp but is content to let him focus on football for now.
Down the line, he could be a candidate for Chipotle’s exclusive “Celebrity Card,” a perk introduced in the early 2000s for high-profile superfans.
Famous Company in the Chipotle Club
If that happens, Cignetti would join a select group that includes rapper Big Sean and New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges, who once claimed he’d eaten Chipotle daily for over a decade.
The card grants lifetime free food — a fitting reward for unwavering devotion.
A Longstanding Love of Repetition
This isn’t a new quirk for Cignetti.
Former players say his preference for repeating meals dates back more than 15 years to his first head coaching job at the University of Pennsylvania.
On game days, dinner was always the same: chicken with zucchini or squash. Only once, during a deep playoff run, did the team earn an upgrade to steak.
How the Chipotle Streak Began
The daily burrito bowl tradition seems to have started shortly after Cignetti arrived in Indiana.
One casual lunchtime question turned into a standing order when he handed McDonald his card and told him to go get food.
Since then, the local Chipotle staff know the order by heart and don’t need reminders about portion sizes.
Even Fans Have Their Limits
McDonald admits he enjoys Chipotle — just not quite on the same level as his boss.
Seven days a week is a stretch for most people. For Cignetti, though, the routine works.
And if sticking to the same bowl every day helps deliver championships, no one around Indiana is complaining.
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