By Nicole Auerbach, Scott Dochterman and Chris Vannini
Indiana is finalizing a deal to hire Curt Cignetti as football coach, a source briefed on the hiring process said Thursday.
The Hoosiers are looking for a new coach after firing Tom Allen on Sunday following a 3-9 season that ended with a 35-31 loss to Purdue.
Allen, 53, went 33-49 overall and 18-43 in the Big Ten during his tenure. His contract included a guaranteed buyout of about $20.8 million before Dec. 1, but the program said both sides agreed to a financial settlement in the form of two payments of $7.75 million agreed.
Cignetti has trained at James Madison since 2018. The Dukes are 19-4 over the last two seasons and 13-3 in the Sun Belt Conference. Cignetti, 62, is 52-9 in his James Madison tenure.
What this means for Indiana
Cignetti is an excellent choice for the Hoosiers, not only because of his success, but also because of his pedigree. He has coached at every level of the sport, from recruiting coordinator at Alabama to head coach at Division II Indiana (Pa.). The way Cignetti orchestrated a seamless transition for James Madison from an elite FCS powerhouse to a Group 5 championship program should give IU fans hope that he can do the same in Bloomington.
With the Big Ten abandoning its divisions, Cignetti will have to rebuild a Hoosiers defense capable of keeping up in terms of personnel. At James Madison he proved he could do that. Offensive strategy wasn’t the main issue at Indiana – development and retention were – but Cignetti’s Dukes were equally strong on that side of the ball.
Depending on who Cignetti signs in the portal, he has a chance to get IU to a bowl game in his first season and perhaps compete for the upper middle of the Big Ten in his second season. — Scott Dochterman, college football staff member
Why Indiana needed a change
Indiana has won the fewest games of any Big Ten program since 2000 and is once again starting from scratch. Allen was the perfect signing for the Hoosiers at the time following the firing of Kevin Wilson, and he had his best season of 2020 during the COVID-19 campaign.
Despite the high expectations and talent in 2021, the Hoosiers fell apart almost immediately and had too many departures. Many of their best players, including quarterback Michael Penix and tight end AJ Barner, moved on to CFP contenders, and their replacements never matched the accomplishments of their predecessors.
The Hoosiers were playing at the top of arguably college football’s toughest division, but what cost Allen his job were inconsistent performances against other teams Indiana played every year – Michigan State, Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue. No one expected IU to regularly compete for Big Ten titles, but it missed opportunities for regular bowl berths. – Dochterman
What’s next for James Madison?
The Dukes will be fine. Their program thrived amid coaching changes for decades and hasn’t had a losing season since 2002. When Everett Withers made it a contender again and left, Mike Houston came in and won an FCS national title. When Houston left, Cignetti came in, reached a championship game and continued success at the FBS level. This is a program with a successful culture and infrastructure to keep it going. They are 19-4 since moving up to the FBS and the Sun Belt.
Potential names to fill the position could include: Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney, Maryland offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz , NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and JMU Bryant Haines (defensive coordinator), Mike Shanahan (offensive coordinator) and Tino Sunseri (quarterbacks coach). —Chris Vannini, college football staff member
Required reading
(Photo: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)