Indiana's Coaching Staff Just Got a Huge Compliment From Bret Bielema

Of all the places for Indiana to get praise from, let's just say Bret Bielema wouldn't exactly be high on that expected list.

Then again, all bets are off in the wake of a 63-10 defeat.

The Illinois coach was on the wrong end of that back in September. It's easy to forget that his Illini squad actually entered that game as the top-10 squad (No. 9), while the No. 19 Hoosiers made a loud statement in Bloomington.

The Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti are on the minds of the top coaches deep into the offseason. One thing appears to be for certain - no one appears to think Indiana is going anywhere.

Needless to say, it left a lasting impact in Bielema

On Friday's episode of "Pardon My Take," Bielema was asked about the beatdown that his squad suffered at the hands of Curt Cignetti and the eventual-national champs.

After explaining how the game got away from the Illini, Bielema tipped his cap in a major way to Indiana coordinators Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan.

"I told our coaches on Tuesday after our first practice (following the IU loss), these coordinators, in my opinion, in 17 years of being in this business, they know what you're gonna do before you know what you're gonna do," Bielema said.

"I think (Haines and Shanahan), offensively and defensively, are the best I've ever seen in all of college football."

Bielema was reminded by PMT host PFT Commentor that both of them were with Cignetti at James Madison before coming to IU.

"They've been together a long time. They don't leave for a reason, I think," Bielema said.

"They like what they're being told, and how they're being told what to do and the guy that's leading them. Eventually, they'll become head coaches, but I think their coordinators are extremely special."

It's hard to argue with that assessment.

Haines won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant, and then become the first to return to a national championship-winning team since Brent Venables at Clemson in 2018-19.

It feels like it's only a matter of time before Haines is coveted for Power Conference head coaching jobs, perhaps as soon as after 2026.

Both Haines and Shanahan are at their fourth different stop with Cignetti. Nobody would be surprised if both went on their own way for the first time in a decade at season's end.

Certainly Bielema wouldn't mind seeing them leave IU and the Big Ten altogether.

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