Curt Cignetti of James Madison is appointed head coach of Indiana.
Curt Cignetti of James Madison has been appointed as Indiana’s new football coach, the university said on Thursday.
Tom Allen was dismissed by Indiana on Sunday, one day after the Hoosiers concluded their third straight losing campaign.
After leading Indiana since 2017, Allen’s tenure as the Hoosiers’ coach ended 33-49. The Hoosiers finished 3-9 this season after losing their final three games, including the rivalry matchup against Purdue on Saturday. Since the 2020 season, they have a 9-26 overall record and a 3-24 record in Big Ten play.
James Madison’s smooth transition to the FBS was facilitated by Cignetti, who was named the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year on Thursday. This year, he guided the Dukes to an 11-1 record and the top spot in the Sun Belt.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce Curt Cignetti as Indiana University’s new head football coach,” Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a release. “Curt stood out from the crowd of exceptionally brilliant and deep applicants we had because of his remarkable record of achievement spanning over four decades in college football. He has been successful as a head coach everywhere he has been, and as an assistant, he has collaborated with some of the greatest coaches in the game to create championship cultures. I am grateful for Chair Quinn Buckner’s outstanding assistance during this process, as well as that of the IU Board of Trustees and President Pam Whitten, who were all instrumental in bringing about this day.”
JMU had a top-20 scoring offense and scoring defense under Cignetti, and the school topped the country in both rushing defense and tackles for loss per game.
Cignetti has a 52-9 record in five seasons at James Madison, which includes a 31-4 record in conference play.
“I am excited to lead this program forward and change the culture, mindset, and expectation level of Hoosier football,” Cignetti stated in a release. “I express my gratitude to President Pam Whitten and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson, and I am forward to collaborate with them in creating something really exceptional at IU. I think that great things are coming for the IU program, and they both agree with that.”
According to NCAA regulations, schools are ineligible for the postseason for two years while making the switch from the FCS to the FBS, hence James Madison is not eligible for the conference title game during this time. However, the Dukes are permitted to bowl since there weren’t enough bowl-eligible teams to fill every spot.
