Cignetti takes CFB by storm in perfect season

An Indiana University football player in a white uniform runs with the ball during a game against the University of Michigan, surrounded by defenders in blue and yellow uniforms. — [Maize & Blue nation | Wikimedia Commons] Indiana had a historically bad year in 2021, going 2-10 and ranking in the bottom 15 FBS teams.

Ben Deihl | sports editor

“It’s probably one of the greatest sports stories of all time,” Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti said. “We’re 16-0, national champions at Indiana University, which I know a lot of people thought was never possible.”

On Nov. 27, 2021, the Indiana Hoosiers wrapped up their final game of the 2021 season, falling to Purdue 44-7. It was the eighth time the Hoosiers had lost by 14 points or more that season and their 10th loss overall, capping off an eight-game losing streak to finish their year. They went 0-9 in the Big Ten, ranking 118th of 130 FBS teams.

From 2021-23, Indiana only mustered nine wins, going 9-27 over that stretch. Indiana was the losingest program of all time until 2025, tallying 715 defeats over its 138-year existence. They’d gone 6-116-1 against AP Top 10 teams in their history.

Something clearly needed to change in Bloomington. Then Cignetti was hired.

“We’re going to change culture, the mindset, the expectation level and improve the brand of Indiana Hoosier football,” Cignetti said in his introductory news conference.

And he did just that.

Cignetti made an immediate impact in Bloomington, leading a 3-9 team to an 11-2 record and reached the College Football Playoff in his first year as head coach. While his Hoosiers ultimately fell to national runner-up Notre Dame in the first round, the stage had been set at Indiana. Cignetti wasn’t there to rebuild. He was there to take over.

Indiana completed a storybook season in 2025, winning the National Championship and becoming the first 16-0 team in college football history since the 1894 Yale Bulldogs, who played powerhouses like the Volunteer New York Athletic Association and now-Division III Tufts. The Hoosiers went 6-0 against AP Top 10 teams in 2025, matching their previous win total over 137 years.

Cignetti built his coaching experience from the ground up, getting his first big gig under future hall of famer Nick Saban as Alabama’s wide receivers coach from 2007-10. Feeling ready to step into a head coaching role, the Pittsburgh native accepted the head coach position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he stayed until 2016.

After a brief stop at Elon, Cignetti became James Madison’s head coach in 2019. He helped the Dukes reach the Division I FCS Championship game in 2019 before moving JMU up to the FBS level in 2022.

A smiling man in a suit with a microphone, seated at a press conference backdrop featuring logos for the College Football Playoff National Championship. — [Bobak Ha’Eri | Wikimedia Commons] Curt Cignetti now holds the record for most wins in a coach’s first two years with a school with 27.

There, the Dukes became the first-ever FBS team to get ranked in their first season in the subdivision, climbing as high as No. 18 in 2023. After an 11-1 season and a bowl invite, Cignetti left James Madison to take on the Indiana project.

Experience was what Cignetti was looking for to rebuild Indiana. He knew with the program’s history, he wouldn’t have the pull and prestige like Alabama or Ohio State. He didn’t have the NIL money to spend like Oregon or Miami.

Using the transfer portal, Cignetti brought dozens of players over to Bloomington, many being former James Madison Dukes that followed their head coach to a new program. He brought in Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, who then led the nation in passing touchdowns and quarterback rating in his Heisman season.

Under Cignetti, 14 of 22 starters were upperclassmen. Seven of Cignetti’s starters were seniors or redshirt seniors, giving the Hoosiers the upper hand when it came to playing time, one of the most valuable assets in the unpredictable world of college football.

“A big concept we’ve had this year is always bettering ourselves,” Mendoza said. “Whether it’s preseason or Oregon or Penn State, we’ve always figured it out.”

There were 36 transfers on Cignetti’s 2025 team, with his team totaling 920 combined career starts, the highest mark in the nation. Cignetti’s team wasn’t flashy — they were underappreciated, resilient, experienced players who knew the game inside and out.

With NIL evaluations and high school sports becoming a bigger spectacle across the nation, young talent has been on the rise and with that comes a new rating system. High school athletes receive 0-5 stars on a scale and percentage points to grade their overall performance, giving colleges a quick view on just how good any particular kid could be.

“I’ve played pretty much every single level of college football,” defensive end Mikail Kamara said. “I didn’t think this was possible. To be [national champions], it’s surreal.”

Four- and five-star high school recruits are considered “blue chips” — the best of the best, the biggest targets with the highest ceilings. In 2025, Indiana fielded just seven blue chip recruits, while 7 of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff had 40 or more.

Simply put, Indiana was able to do more with less. A team composed of experienced, overlooked athletes with a hard-headed, passionate head coach is a recipe for success, regardless of history or money.

Ben Deihl can be reached at deihlb1@duq.edu