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Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti among ‘most exciting’ Power Four head coaching debuts for 2024

Curt Cignetti heads into his first season with Indiana football and his debut is among the ‘most exciting’ around the power 4.

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3 months ago

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Indiana Football
Curt Cignetti heads into his first season with Indiana football and his debut is among the 'most exciting' around the power 4.

The Indiana football program has turned heads this offseason, there’s no doubting that. From the recruiting trail to the energy and even the expectations — head coach Curt Cignetti has changed the narrative surrounding the program.

From a 3-9 season in 2023, to potential bowl aspirations in 2024, Cignetti quickly emerged as one of the top hires this offseason and heads into the season as one of the ‘most exciting’ coaches at the power four level.

“Winning at Indiana will be a daunting task for Curt Cignetti as the Big Ten only gets tougher in his debut season, but his arrival injected new life into a program that saw as recently as four years ago what the ceiling can be when everything fires on all cylinders,” 247Sports national analyst Carter Bahns wrote. “Cignetti oversaw James Madison’s splashy transition to the FBS level and brought handfuls of impact players from the Dukes program with him to Bloomington. The noted program builder gives the Hoosiers an intriguing longterm outlook, and incoming transfers Kurtis Rourke (Ohio quarterback) and Elijah Sarratt (JMU receiver) are among the many players who could turn heads in Year 1.”

Indiana loaded up in the transfer portal in order to bring that excitement and expectation to Bloomington. He brings in 31 transfers — among the most at the FBS level.

“But you’re talking about a championship culture, or people think the way you want them to think and we kept the right guys in the program from last year’s team and got rid of some dead wood, some guys needed to and those guys assimilated quickly. And we’re not there yet, you know, but nobody in the country is there.”

Summer months critical for Indiana football to have success in debut season for Curt Cignetti

The foundation has been set. The next few months are not about building that, it’s more about sustaining and compounding what has been cemented as the bones of this team and program.

Cignetti knows it and is adamant about the development that needs to happen this summer in order to come out ready to go come seasons start.

“We gotta have a great summer,” Cignetti said. “Guys have to commit, and we normally do a great job there with Derek Owings, our strength and conditioning coordinator. I know we’ll make great strides and progress, have a good fall camp, keep them all healthy, develop and come out ready to play.”

And with the amount of new faces on the roster, no position is fully set. Competition continues throughout the summer, and likely into the fall. Curt Cignetti likes it that way as competition will bread success and follow along with his manta of ‘stalking complacency’, something that comes with persistent teaching, training and messaging.

“You know, there’s competition in every position,” Cignetti said. “So it makes you better.”

Indiana football begins the Curt Cignetti era on Aug. 31 against Florida International.

SEE ALSO: ‘Something’s got to give and it wasn’t going to be me’: Curt Cignetti has won at every stop. He doesn’t expect that to change with Indiana football

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Alec Lasley is the owner of Hoosier Illustrated, a comprehensive site covering news, updates and recruiting for Indiana University athletics. Alec has covered Indiana for six years and is a credentialed media member. He has previously worked for both Rivals and 247Sports.

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