Indiana football struggled for much of its 2023 season, which followed a pair of seasons in which it won just in six total games. So, just a day after the Hoosiers finished their 2023 regular season at 3-9, head coach Tom Allen was fired.
Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson then began a national search for the program’s 30th head coach. Less than a week later, on Nov. 30, 2023, Dolson announced the hiring of Curt Cignetti from James Madison University.
Immediately upon his arrival at Indiana, Cignetti had unwavering confidence in his ability to turn the dormant program, which led the Football Bowl Subdivision in most losses with 713 at the time, around.
“We're going to change the culture, the mindset, the expectation level and improve the brand of Indiana Hoosier football,” Cignetti said during his introductory press conference Dec. 1, 2023. “There will be no self-imposed limitations on what we can accomplish. It will be a day-by-day process that is hinged on being focused on the present moment and improving as much daily as possible to put yourself in the best position tomorrow.”
From his six seasons at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, two at Elon University and six at JMU, Cignetti explained he has a proven process that works in turning schools around. He planned on turning Indiana, a program Dolson dubbed a “sleeping giant,” around.
Cignetti entered his first season in Bloomington without a losing season in his 14 years as a head coach. Less than a month after being introduced, he was asked how he sells his vision during recruiting. He responded with, “It's pretty simple. I win. Google me.”
Cignetti and the Hoosiers wasted no time in getting into the win column. Indiana defeated Florida International University in its season opener before drubbing Western Illinois University by 74 points in Week 2.
Then, in the Hoosiers’ first real test of the season, they dominated UCLA at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, by 29 points.
Indiana followed its 3-0 start with seven consecutive wins, including triumphs over Washington and Michigan –– the two squads that played in the national championship game during the previous season.
Cignetti’s first loss at the helm of the Hoosiers came to Ohio State, but his squad responded the next week with a 66-0 victory over Purdue to reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2019.
Indiana earned its first-ever College Football Playoff berth since it was created ahead of the 2014 season. Despite trailing by 24 points late in the fourth quarter of their CFP First Round matchup with the University of Notre Dame, the Hoosiers pulled within 10 points before ultimately falling 27-17 to end their season with an 11-2 record –– the best in program history.
Cignetti won six National Coach of the Year awards, including being named The Associated Press Coach of the Year. He reinvigorated the fanbase as they sold out Memorial Stadium for the Hoosiers’ final four home games.
Now, ahead of the 2025 season, Cignetti has brought in the 18th-best transfer portal class, according to 247Sports. The class is headlined by former University of California, Berkeley transfer Fernando Mendoza, who is slated to succeed Kurtis Rourke at quarterback for the Hoosiers. Mendoza, whose younger brother Alberto is also a quarterback at Indiana, is a redshirt junior with two seasons of eligibility left.
In total, Indiana landed 20 players out of the transfer portal, including two sixth-year seniors who previously transferred away from Indiana after the 2023 season: safety Louis Moore and offensive lineman Khalil Benson.
Indiana is slated to host its annual Spring Game at noon April 19, giving fans a look at the 2025 squad. The Hoosiers will then begin their regular season Aug. 30 against Old Dominion University at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington as they look to build upon a record-setting 2024 season.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Source print publication March 3, 2025.
