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On Sunday the Indiana Hoosiers fired Tom Allen. Four days later, they have hired his replacement in James Madison’s Curt Cignetti.
Who Is Curt Cignetti?
Cignetti, 62, has been coaching in college football since 1983 as a graduate assistant with Pittsburgh. He is a father of three kids and is the son of Frank Cignetti Sr., who won 199 games as West Virginia University’s head coach and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Cignetti Sr. is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Here are all the stops that the Pennsylvania native has made since:
- 1985 – Davidson’s QB/WR Coach
- 1986 – 1988 – Rice’s Quarterback Coach
- 1989 – 1992 – Temple’s Quarterback Coach
- 1993 – 1999 – Pittsburgh’s QB/TE Coach
- 2000 – 2006 – North Carolina State’s QB/TE/RC (Recruiting Coordinator)
- 2007 – 2010 – Alabama’s WR/RC
- 2011 – 2016 – Head Coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (53-17)
- 2017 – 2018 – Elon’s Head Coach (14-9)
- 2019 – 2023 – James Madison’s Head Coach (52-9)
He was recognized as the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year this season after going 11-1.
What People Are Saying
On Thursday’s Query & Company with Jake Query and Jimmy Cook, Fox Sports Radio’s Aaron Torres was on the program as the news broke.
“The things that helped James Madison win at the FCS to the FBS level stayed the same. Good defense, turnover margin, discipline. All the things that an Indiana fan would be looking at in their next head coach. That would be a heck of a snag as Indiana heads into the era of the Big Ten next year and starting over in a really good place.”
Additionally, Big Ten Network anchor Dave Revsine joined Query & Company minutes after the hire to share his perspective on IU hiring Cignetti.
“Just seems like a really good fit to me. Everywhere he has been, he’s won and he’s turned everywhere around. None of these places were in great shape when he got there. To me, that’s what IU needs. I think there’s a lot to like about this and I would be fired up if I’m a Hoosier fan for sure.”
IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Scott Dolson
“I am very excited to welcome Curt Cignetti as the head football coach at Indiana University. We had a very talented and deep pool of candidates, and Curt stood out thanks to an incredible track record of success over more than four decades in college football. As a head coach he’s succeeded everywhere he’s been, and as an assistant he has been a part of championship cultures while working alongside some of the game’s best coaches. I appreciate the tremendous support throughout this process of Chair Quinn Buckner and the IU Board of Trustees and President Pam Whitten, all of whom were critical in making this day a reality.”
Head Coach Curt Cignetti
“I am excited to lead this program forward and change the culture, mindset, and expectation level of Hoosier football. 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.”
It has been revealed that Cignetti will be bringing his offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, and quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri from James Madison. He will also coach in JMU’s bowl game, but his priority will be building the Hoosiers roster with transfer portal recruitment opening on Monday.
To listen to Jake Query and Jimmy Cook’s conversation with Aaron Torres and Dave Revsine, download the podcast containing the conversation below! You can always listen to the Query & Company from 12pm-3pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. You can also watch and interact with the show by going to the 107.5 The Fan YouTube Channel.
