Indiana football defensive coordinator Bryant Haines will officially return to the program this fall.
Haines signed a new contract extension with Indiana on Sunday, an Indiana Athletics spokesperson confirmed to the Indiana Daily Student. 247 Sports and CBS Sports national reporter Matt Zenitz first reported the news. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Haines is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, which will be announced Feb. 13 and is given annually to the nation’s top assistant.
Out of 133 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Hoosiers’ defense ranked No. 2 with 256.3 yards allowed per game and No. 6 in scoring, giving up only 15.6 points per game. Indiana’s defense finished 12th in the country and second in the Big Ten with 95 tackles for loss.
Haines initially agreed to a contract that paid $1.8 million annually over three years. But amid defensive coordinator openings at both of the teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship — Ohio State and the University of Notre Dame — the Hoosiers evidently felt the need to secure Haines moving forward.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who has an offensive background, said during the season he gives Haines free rein on the defense.
Apart from when Haines left to coach at the University of California-Davis in 2016, he and Cignetti have been together since 2014 — a trend set to continue in 2025.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
