Indiana DC Bryant Haines Is Here to Stay: 'The Grass Isn't Always Greener'

The path to becoming a head coach in college football isn’t a walk in the park, but it is relatively clear-cut. Take Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, for example.

Following his 26-year tenure as an assistant coach – which culminated in a four-year stint at Alabama – Cignetti earned a job as a head man at Division II Indiana University Pennsylvania, the former stomping ground of his father, Frank Cignetti.

After seven successful seasons, Cignetti quickly moved up to FCS program Elon, before switching to James Madison, another FCS school, which, behind Cignetti, became an FBS program.

Although the DII stop isn’t always on the tarot cards for most coaches, Cignetti’s overall path of long-term assistant leading to a head-coaching position reflects the typical route.

At Indiana, under Cignetti, the Hoosiers boast perhaps the most coveted defensive coordinator in the sport: Bryant Haines. With Haines, who came to Bloomington with Cignetti from James Madison, at the defensive helm the Hoosiers have quickly blossomed into one of the stingiest defenses in the country.

The leader of the our defense is the @WeAreAFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year.

Congratulations, @Coach_BHaines! 👏 pic.twitter.com/6qwi0gZnEt
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) December 9, 2025

Currently, they rank second in points allowed per game at 10.85 – a digit even more impressive when considering how quickly quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana offense tends to score. Per ESPN’s SP+, the Hoosiers’ defense is the second-best in the country, trailing only Ohio State’s.

So, as far as Haines is concerned, he’s checked all the boxes: 16 seasons as an assistant and an extremely successful coordinator performance in back to back campaigns (15.6 points allowed in 2024 ranked sixth in the country). What else can anyone ask for?

Why Indiana's Bryant Haines is in it for the long haul

The logical next step for Haines in his career: A head-coaching post – or so you’d think. Perhaps that’s the “expected” path, but is it really the best? Why not stick around at Indiana and continue to dominate year in and year out, chasing national championships every season?

Well, that appears to be Haines’ exact thought process, as the Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator explained to the media, per Alec Lasley:

“I don’t have a burning desire to be a head coach. Not that I’m not willing to look, but it’s not a burning desire right now at the moment. We have a great thing going… The grass isn’t always greener,” said Haines.

Bryant Haines on being a head coach vs staying at Indiana: "I don't have a burning desire to be a head coach, not that I'm not willing to look, but it's not a burning desire right now at the moment. We have a great thing going ... The grass isn't always greener."#iufb
— Alec Lasley (@allasley) December 30, 2025

The No. 1 reason why sustained success in college football is so difficult: coordinators on winning teams always get poached – but it appears that won’t be the case for Haines. In turn, it appears Indiana very well may be just at the dawn of a long-lasting dynasty.