Imago
January 09, 2025: Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti walks the sidelines during NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. /CSM Atlanta United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20260109_zma_c04_197 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx
Imago
January 09, 2025: Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti walks the sidelines during NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. /CSM Atlanta United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20260109_zma_c04_197 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx
When Indiana walks into Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, they’re chasing history. The 2025 season has been nothing short of magical for the Hoosiers. They just won their first Big Ten title since 1967, knocking off reigning champs Ohio State, and suddenly, a program that lived in the background for decades is on the national stage. Fans in their 70s and 80s, who never thought they’d see Indiana matter like this, are traveling to games just to be part of it.
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And it all traces back to one man: Curt Cignetti. The 64-year-old took over in 2024, and since then, the team has been winning. They went from a 3–9 mess to an 11-win season. Indiana made the College Football Playoff as a No. 10 seed that year. This season, he is breaking records. Indiana is unbeaten, playing with confidence and edge, and that’s pushed Cignetti straight into the “best coach in college football” conversation.
For years, that crown belonged to Georgia’s Kirby Smart. But if you listen to voices like Joel Klatt, the throne might not be his alone anymore.
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“Curt Cignetti is doing more with less than anybody,” Klatt said. “And he’s doing it on a stage and at a pace right now that is fairly unprecedented. He did it in Indiana! Guys, Indiana is likely to win the national championship. That blows my mind.”
Who is the most successful head coach in Indiana History?
Indiana football has had its share of legendary coaches, but Curt Cignetti is putting himself in rare company. Bill Mallory still holds the program record for most career wins, going 69–77–3 over 13 seasons from 1984 to 1996. He led Indiana to six bowl games and won back-to-back Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1987 and 1988. Bo McMillin, meanwhile, coached Indiana’s only outright Big Ten champion, guiding the 1945 team to a 9–0–1 season.
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Now there’s Cignetti. He owns the highest winning percentage in program history and has already taken Indiana somewhere it’s never been before: the national championship stage. He’s 26–2 so far in Bloomington, has won Big Ten Coach of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, and has stacked up multiple national coach of the year awards along the way.
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Where does Curt Cignetti rank among Indiana football coaches?
| Curt Cignetti | 2024–present | 2 | 26–2–0 | .929 |
| Bo McMillin | 1934–1947 | 14 | 63–48–11 | .561 |
| James M. Sheldon | 1905–1913 | 9 | 34–26–3 | .563 |
| Bill Mallory | 1984–1996 | 13 | 68–78–3 | .466 |
| Tom Allen | 2016–2023 | 8 | 33–49–0 | .402 |
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Curt Cignetti’s career record and coaching
Curt Cignetti owns a career head coaching record of 145–37 across 15 seasons at the Division II, FCS, and FBS levels, good for an impressive .797 winning percentage.
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| IUP (D-II) | 2011-2016 | 53-17 | 33-11 |
| Elon (FCS) | 2017-2018 | 14-9 | 10-5 |
| James Madison (FCS/FBS) | 2019-2023 | 52-9 | 31-4 |
| Indiana (FBS) | 2024-present | 26-2 | 17-1 |
| Total | 15 seasons | 145-37 |
Indiana Football Coaching History: Top 5 Coaches of All Time
| 1. | Curt Cignetti | 2024–present | 26–2 (.929) | He led Indiana to its first-ever undefeated regular season (12–0), the program’s first Big Ten title since 1967, a No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll, and a National Championship appearance in 2025. Along the way, he also took home Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025. |
| 2. | Bo McMillin | 1934–1947 | 63–48–11 (.561) | He’s still the only coach to ever lead Indiana to an outright Big Ten title, doing it in 1945 with a 9–0–1 season. For decades, his 34–34–6 conference record stood as the best winning percentage by any IU coach—right up until Curt Cignetti came along. |
| 3. | Bill Mallory | 1984–1996 | 69–77–3 (.473) | He’s the program’s all-time winningest coach with 69 victories and guided the Hoosiers to six bowl appearances. Along the way, he earned back-to-back Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1987 and 1988. |
| 4. | John Pont | 1965–1972 | 31–51–1 (.380) | He led the 1967 squad to a share of the Big Ten title and took Indiana to its first-ever Rose Bowl in 1968. That season capped it all off, as he was named the unanimous National Coach of the Year. |
| 5. | James M. Sheldon | 1905–1913 | 35–26–3 (.570) |
He’s one of the rare IU coaches who finished with a winning record, leading the program to four winning seasons back in the early 1900s. |
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