Indiana has moved quickly to find its next head coach.
According to a Thursday afternoon report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, IU is finalizing a deal to make James Madison’s Curt Cignetti the new leader of the football program.
Sources: Indiana is finalizing a deal to make James Madison coach Curt Cignetti the school’s next coach. He led JMU to an 11-1 season in 2023.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2023
The Daily Hoosier is able to confirm the report via a source.
Cignetti will be the 30th head coach in IU football history as the program gets set to embark on its 140th season in 2024.
The 62-year-old Cignetti was most recently the head coach of current No. 24 James Madison (11-1), where he compiled a record of 52-9 over five seasons. On Thursday he was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. James Madison will play in a bowl game next month. It is not clear at this time whether Cignetti will coach the Dukes for that game.
Cignetti guided JMU through a transition from the FCS to FBS, and this season broke the record Georgia Southern set in 2014 for most wins (eight) over Bowl Subdivision teams by a program in its second year of FBS competition.
Overall Cignetti has a 119-35 record as head coach, with stops at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Elon.
Prior to becoming a head coach, Cignetti worked under Nick Saban at Alabama. He was an original member of Saban’s Alabama staff from 2007 to 2010, where he coached wide receivers and served as recruiting coordinator. The 2009 Alabama team won the national championship.
From 2000-06, Cignetti was an assistant coach at North Carolina State and recruited current Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. He helped guide the Wolf Pack to wins over IU in 2000 and 2001, including a 41-38 win over the Hoosiers in Bloomington in 2000. Then freshman quarterback Philip Rivers was 31-of-52 for 401 yards, with five touchdown passes in that game.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native is married to Manette Cignetti and has three children — Curtis John, Carly Ann and Natalie Elise.
Cignetti’s father, Frank Cignetti Sr., is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Cignetti Sr. succeeded Bobby Bowden at West Virginia and coached the Mountaineers from 1976 until 1979.
His younger brother, Frank Cignetti Jr., is also a long-time football coach. Cignetti Jr., 58, was most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Pitt.
Cignetti played quarterback at West Virginia from 1979-1982.
Seth Tow contributed to this story.
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