How Curt Cignetti's Historic Indiana Run Compares to College Softball Moments
Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti made history on Monday night when he took the Hoosiers to the first 16-0 season in college football in 132 years and grabbed the program’s first-ever national title.
Prior to Cignetti taking the helm in November of 2023, IU had the horrific distinction of being the losingest program in college football after becoming the first Division I team to lose 700 games.
But from the moment he took over, Cignetti rapidly turned direction by bringing over talent and culture from his former James Madison University teams, establishing high standards, and demanding the utmost success.
By creating a winning foundation, Cignetti was able to guide the team to its first 8–0 start since 1967, then to a 9–0 record, marking a program milestone, and finally to a 10–0 start, the best in Indiana football history.
Now, they’re the best in the nation.
Cignetti’s impressive achievements can be compared to several historical moments throughout college softball where coaches took their programs to the next level.
Here’s a look at a few head softball coaches who have made a world of difference on their program and some who are expected to pull a Cignetti and achieve the unthinkable in 2026.
Gerry Glasco and the Texas Tech Red Raiders
In Glasco’s first season in Lubbock, he led the Red Raiders to their most successful season ever. With a 54-14 record, which was the most wins in a single season, they hosted their first-ever NCAA Regional, advanced to the Super Regionals for the first time ever, and eventually made their first Women’s College World Series appearance. Though they finished as National Runners-Up against the Texas Longhorns, there’s no denying that completely revamping a program in one year is an incredible feat.
Similar to Cignetti, who brought 13 key players from James Madison University to Indiana via the transfer portal in 2024, Glasco brought over five from his former school, Louisiana, plus snagged ace NiJaree Canady from Stanford through the largest NIL deal in college softball.
Megan Smith Lyon and the North Carolina Tar Heels
With two seasons under her belt at the helm, Smith Lyon has created an atmosphere on and off the field that has left UNC unrecognizable. The team put up the first 40-win season since 2017, had 23 top-100 RPI wins, beat three conference champions, and scored the most runs by any other team in program history at 378 – all in her first year of leadership.
The Tar Heels pushed to new heights in 2025, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, but fell in two straight games in the Knoxville Regional.
The momentous year was led by transfers Kat Rodriguez, who turned into an All-American under Smith Lyon’s direction, while Alex Coleman took over the Power 4 school after leaving a mid-major.
Jo Evans and the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
2025 was one historic season for Evans and the Guachos. In her third year with the team, she led them to a 36-26 overall record, the most wins in a single season for the program, and a 17-10 conference record, tying for the most wins in program history. The Gauchos went on to earn their first Big West Championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2007.
3 RUN BOMB TO PUT THEM BACK ON 🔝#RoadToWCWS x 🎥 ESPN+ / @UCSBSoftball pic.twitter.com/OB46Bp5wmB
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 18, 2025
The Guachos continued to excel and advanced to the Regional championship for the first time in program history, but eventually fell to UCLA.
Across the season, the team broke several single-season records, including hits (468), runs (314), RBIs (291), doubles (97), and home runs (50). Six players under Evans’ direction earned All-Big West honors, including ace Malaya Johnson, who was named Pitcher of the Year.
Loren LaPorte and the James Madison University Dukes
Coincidentally, while Cignetti was leading the football team, LaPorte was making history with the softball program. In her fourth season as head coach in 2021, she led the Dukes to a 41-4 record and a 17-1 conference mark. The team did the unimaginable when it reached its first-ever WCWS appearance, becoming the first unseeded team to win its first two games in the tournament.
DUKES WIN! OKLAHOMA CITY BOUND! 😎
— JMU Softball (@JMUSoftball) May 30, 2021
For the first time in program history, the Dukes are headed to the Women’s College World Series!#GoDukes | #RoadToWCWS pic.twitter.com/TgvWbAW8Pa
Under LaPorte’s guidance, the Dukes defeated four top-10 programs, including eventual national champion Oklahoma, along with two wins over No. 25 Liberty.
LaPorte transformed several players, including outfielder Kate Gordon, who set the Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA) home run record and earned NFCA All-Region Honors alongside Madison Naujokas, ace Odicci Alexander, Logan Newton, Lynsey Meeks, Sara Jubas and Alissa Humphrey. Alexander grabbed her third NFCA All-American honor and first CAA Pitcher of the Year award.
Recommended Links
Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.
Follow nicolereitz02