The Indiana Hoosiers have found Tom Allen’s replacement in Curt Cignetti, who is coming off an 11-1 season with the James Madison Dukes. Tom Allen began his campaign with the Hoosiers in 2016, and he only managed to post a winning record in two of his eight seasons. The Hoosiers decided to part ways with Allen after a 3-9 record this season contributed to his overall record of 33-49.
Due to the extension Allen signed in March of 2021 following a 6-1 conference record posted by a Michael Penix-led Indiana team during the COVID year, Allen’s buyout was $20.8 million if he was fired before Dec. 1, 2024. Indiana was able to negotiate the buyout to $15.5 million.
New Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti has won everywhere he has been
Cignetti’s stops at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Elon and James Madison have amounted to a 119-35 record as a head coach. Throughout all three stops, Cagnetti has never had a losing record at the conclusion of the season. He finished his tenure at James Madison with a 52-9 record.
“I am very excited to welcome Curt Cignetti as the head football coach at Indiana University,” Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement.
“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.” – ESPN
Cignetti saw James Madison through their FBS transition in the midst of his five-year tenure. The three years prior to James Madison’s FBS transition saw Cignetti lead them to a bid in the FCS championship once, along with two appearances in the FCS semifinals. While the Dukes were either first or tied for first in both of their first two years as a part of the FBS, they were technically not considered Sun Belt Conference champions as they were not eligible for postseason play as a result of their transition. The NCAA requires a two-year break from postseason play when transitioning from FCS to FBS.
On top of making the transition from FCS to FBS seamless for James Madison, Cignetti has created a defensive powerhouse. The Dukes led the nation in rushing defense, and they managed to find their way into the top-20 in scoring.
Cignetti will be forced to make the transition from group of five to a power five conference that is beefing up with several notable additions in the Big Ten. While this transition has proven difficult for coaches like Scott Frost, Florida State’s head coach Mike Norvell has his Seminoles vying for a playoff spot after previously coaching at Memphis.
Despite the fact that Cignetti has no head coaching experience at the power five level, he was a part of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama from 2007-2010. Next year Cignetti will join Dan Lanning and Mike Locksley as the three Big Ten head coaches that are a part of Saban’s coaching tree.
Despite already taking the job, Cignetti will coach James Madison at their bowl game. The Dukes were only granted an opportunity to play in a bowl this year due to a lack of eligible bowl teams.
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