Industry Expert Explains Why Hiring Curt Cignetti Led To Indiana Football History

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson looked for certain criteria in a new head football coach that could turn the nation’s losingest program into a winner.

As he introduced Curt Cignetti just over a year ago, Dolson explained he wanted an experienced, successful coach; a high-level recruiter, a proven developer of talent; someone who had success with quarterbacks; someone with a grasp of transfer portal and NIL; and perhaps most importantly, a winner. Cignetti checked those boxes as a candidate last year, and those attributes are some of the main reasons he’s led a historic turnaround.

A lengthy rebuild was not in Cignetti’s vocabulary. He brought 13 players, six assistants and the strength coach with him from James Madison, a Group of Five powerhouse. That sped up Indiana’s transformation, as did increased NIL funding and a more favorable schedule compared to recent seasons. After going 9-27 in the last three years of the Tom Allen era, Cignetti set a program record for wins and went 11-1 in his first season.

A unique aspect of Indiana’s first season with Cignetti is that no one saw it coming. The Hoosiers were picked 17th out of 18 teams in the preseason Big Ten poll. Oddsmakers set their over/under win total at 5.5 games. Even some of the most optimistic fans would have been happy with an ordinary bowl game appearance in year one.

Chad Biagini, the President of Nolan Partners, an Excel Sports Management company, is involved with hiring processes around the sports world, primarily with American football, basketball, soccer and baseball.

He described his role as to be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, helping them hire most effectively. Though he was not directly involved with Indiana landing Cignetti, he’s enjoyed examining why that hire led to a historic season.

Biagini credits Dolson and others involved with hiring Cignetti for their belief that his success at lower levels could translate to the Big Ten. In his experience, Biagini has seen organizations favor candidates that are seen as safer hires or household names over taking risks. For example, a Big Ten program may opt for an established Power Five head coach, rather than someone who has led a program at a lower level.

That’s not to say Cignetti was a complete unknown. After all, he was on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama and won a national championship. But many Indiana fans and followers of Power Five football may not have been familiar with Cignetti before last year.

Biagini said it’s critical to establish priorities up front and stick to them. Dolson felt confident in his assessment that Cignetti could win in the Big Ten, and it paid off.

“You don't always see that,” Biagini told Hoosiers On SI. “…You see a lot of people end up going again for big, splashy press releases. To go down to James Madison and Elon before then, that wouldn't have been on everyone's radar to say, can he translate at this level? And he is. He obviously is doing very well.”

That could open the door to other programs using a similar hiring strategy.

“I do think it will open up the aperture for other programs to not just go after the five people that somebody, that everybody, expects them to hire. They're going to look broader and look for opportunity. … In this case, Dolson, saying, ‘I'm going to take a bet on somebody who hasn't been at this level.’ That's hiring courage. And I think others will look at this example and see that it worked, and recognize that sometimes coaches – first time coaches, or coaches from smaller programs – have a lot more success than a retread, not always, but it does happen quite frequently.”

Indiana’s roster is not filled with five-star recruits and top-ranked transfers. Along with 13 players from James Madison, other key additions include a group of wide receivers – Myles Price from Texas Tech, Miles Cross from Ohio and Ke’Shawn Williams from Wake Forest – who were ranked outside the top 65 at their position by 247Sports, as well as Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke, Kent State transfer defensive lineman CJ West, Old Dominion transfer safety Shawn Asbury II, to name a few.

In an era of college football where roster changes are more common than ever, player evaluation has become even more critical. That has proven to be a strength for Cignetti, who also identified unselfish, veteran players who’ve maintained focus throughout the season. And they’re never satisfied, as Cignetti often says.

“You need talented individuals, but they need to care about the success of the team more than their own individual success,” Biagini said. “... You see a lot of coaches, you see a lot of programs just go for five-star recruits, for the players who have the best individual stats. But that doesn't mean that person is going to be a good teammate, that they're going to be a culture add in the locker room, that they're going to be someone people want to fight for and play for and sweat alongside.”

Indiana’s success meant other programs may try to poach Cignetti. Dolson said he approached IU president Pam Whitten about a new contract after Indiana’s fifth or sixth win. And before the end of his first season coaching the Hoosiers, Cignetti inked a new eight-year contract. It includes an average annual compensation of $8 million, plus an annual $11 million salary pool for assistant coaches – numbers competitive with the nation’s top programs.

“I think transparent, open dialog early matters, rather than just hoping for alignment,” Biagini said. “And most programs would be doing something similar.”

Biagini has also been impressed by the way Cignetti has embraced the Indiana fan base. After an underwhelming turnout for his first home game against Florida International, Cignetti urged fans to stay in the seats past halftime and change the culture, while also recognizing that his team winning would play a big role in attendance.

Cignetti also sent emails to students, asking for support with messages like, “The tailgates can wait. The parties can wait. If you need to study, that can wait, too.” That inspired towels given to fans at games that read “study later” with Cignetti’s signature printed below. It created a movement around the Indiana fan base, sparked by appearances from ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame shows.

Biagini said not all coaches build that relationship with the community, but he believes Cignetti’s confidence and belief has inspired the fan base. As a result, Indiana sold out four home games at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 1969.

“He threads a nice balance,” Biagini said. “If you watch his media personality, there's tons of confidence, but I wouldn't say ego, and that can draw people. It's not about him, it's about the team winning. He's made it about the overall organization and the school and the program, but he's come in with high expectations, saying we are going to win.”

The Hoosiers are now preparing for the College Football Playoff. They’ll play as the No. 10 seed at Notre Dame on Dec. 20 and look to put an exclamation mark on the best season in Indiana football history, showing what a difference a year can make.

“It's more than a turnaround, he's broken records that have never existed before,” Biagini said. “It's transformation, is really what this is. Turnarounds occur frequently. This is unusual speed.”

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