Indiana Football: Hoosiers hire Curt Cignetti as new Head Coach

Indiana Football hires James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti.

On Thursday afternoon, the Indiana football program announced that Curt Cignetti will serve as the program’s 30th head coach.

Cignetti previously served as the head coach of the Sun Belt conference’s James Madison University football program. He went 52-9 overall in 5 seasons with the Dukes, with only four losses in conference play. This past year, Cignetti’s squad was one of the biggest surprises of the College Football season.

James Madison went 11-1 and was ranked as high as #18 in the AP poll in only their second season in Division I FBS. Cignetti will stay with the team to coach them in their first-ever FBS bowl game, as Chris Vannini of The Athletic reported.

Before James Madison, Cignetti was the head coach at Indiana University, Pennsylvania, and Elon University.

Coach Cignetti will look to bring success and excitement to an Indiana football program that has experienced 27 losses in the past three seasons.

“I am excited to lead this program forward and change the culture, mindset, and expectation level of Hoosier football,” said Coach Cignetti in the official IU football press release. “I want to thank Director of Athletics Scott Dolson and President Pam Whitten, and I look forward to working with both in building something special at IU. Both share my vision and belief that big things are ahead for the IU program.”

When Cignetti arrives in Bloomington, his first order of business will be talking to the many Hoosiers in the transfer portal. Since Tom Allen’s dismissal, Indiana has had over 15 players enter the portal, including quarterback Brendan Sorsby and wide receiver Donaven McCulley.

Curt Cignetti has proven he can win football games at the FBS level but faces a new challenge as a head coach in the Big Ten. In his first season with the Hoosiers, he will attempt to conquer an unforgiving conference schedule that includes national powerhouses like Michigan and Ohio State. He will also compete with some of the country’s best coaches in recruiting players out of high school and through the transfer portal.

Cignetti is thought of highly among the College Football landscape, including legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban. “They’re not only getting a great coach, they’re also getting a coach who does things the right way,” Saban said. Cignetti served as Saban’s wide receiver coach/recruiting coordinator from 2007-2010.

Cignetti will bring a competitive spirit and a winning standard to an Indiana football fanbase hungry for a successful team. His outgoing personality and dedication should quickly make him a favorite in Bloomington among players, coaches, and fans alike.

Coach Cignetti’s introductory press conference will be on Friday at 2:30 pm ET.