What Curt Cignetti has done in Bloomington is nothing short of remarkable. In just two seasons, Cignetti has turned Indiana into a National Championship-winning program after inheriting a team nobody considered a contender on the national stage.
With Big Ten Media Days starting up on Tuesday, it didn't take long for a fellow Big Ten head coach to sing Cignetti's praises in a big way.
Bret Bielema gives ultimate praise to Curt Cignetti and Indiana
The 2026 Big Ten Media Days in Chicago are spread out over three days this week with multiple head coaches speaking with the media each day. Among the coaches speaking on Tuesday was Illinois' Bret Bielema, and he gave a glowing review of the job Cignetti has done with the Hoosiers.
"That is single-handedly the most impressive story that I have witnessed in my college career. What Cig did to take over a program that had historically had been one of the losingest programs and to turn it into two years later an undefeated team. And literally ran away with it--like I know what they did to us. And then to see them do what they did in the playoffs. That's just not happening in the CFP playoffs. The way they dominated teams is just impressive."Bret Bielema
Bielema continued on to praise the entirety of the Indiana coaching staff specifically. He noted Cignetti's unique leadership and way of doing things in which he described as "awesome."
Bielema also noted Cignetti's knack for putting players in the best position to succeed. All in all, it became crystal clear that Bielema has the utmost respect for what Cignetti has done at Indiana so far.
See Bielema's full quote below:
What was Illinois coach Bret Bielema's reaction to Indiana football winning a national title?
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) July 28, 2026
"That is single handedly the most impressive story that I've witnessed in my college career."
His whole answer is worth your time: pic.twitter.com/sZK9wtXlO0
Bret Bielema puts respect ahead of rivalry with Indiana
There is often little love lost between the Hoosiers and fighting Illini. The two schools have developed a strong rivalry in multiple sports, and each time they meet there are plenty of bragging rights on the line.
3 jersey patch sponsors that Indiana Hoosier fans could get behind
This past season, one of Indiana's most impressive wins came against Bielema and Illinois. When the 9th-ranked Fighting Illini came to Bloomington on September 20, Indiana was still not widely considered to be a National Championship-contending team by the national media. On the other side, Illinois was receiving plenty of hype at the time. But Cignetti and company made sure to put that to an end.
Simply put, the Hoosiers dominated from start to finish. Indiana won by a score of 63-10, and out-gained Illinois 579-161. The game was never in doubt, and Indiana's emphatic victory forced everybody to acknowledge the Hoosiers as serious title contenders. And the rest is history.
Despite that one-sided result, Bielema is letting respect for Cignetti shine through. He is not the first rival coach to sing Cignetti's praises and he won't be the last. Cignetti is 27-2 through two seasons at IU, and looking ahead, the Hoosiers have plenty of staying power in 2026 and beyond with Cignetti leading the way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google