New Indiana football coordinators followed Curt Cignetti because of culture and trust. Now, they feel ‘something special happening’.

The Indiana football program hasn’t garnered the attention of the conference or the country in many years. Often an afterthought in the Big Ten, Indiana struggled to maintain the level of success it had in 2019 and 2020 over the past three seasons. Because of that, a new era of football is set to take place in Bloomington this fall.

While a new staff enters — it’s a group that has had some continuity before. Both coordinators Mike Shanahan and Bryant Haines followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, as well as a few other assistants. But, keeping Haines and Shanahan were critical for Cignetti and the system(s) he has put in place over the last decade coaching. That’s due to the trust and culture that all three have built at every stop since they began working together in 2016.

From stops at Elon, to James Madison and now Indiana — that trio have been tied at the hip. And so there wasn’t even a second thought when Cignetti spoke with them about joining the Indiana football program.

“Just continuing to learn and I feel like I get pushed every single day to be the best that I can be,” Shanahan said of working with Cignettisaid of working with Cignetti. “He (Cignetti) does a good job of making sure every person in the building is someone that has high character and is fun to be around. It makes coming to work every day more enjoyable, whether it is coaches or players, anybody on his staff. It is kind of a no brainer for me.”

“I’m very loyal to Coach Cignetti and he’s been loyal to me,” Haines added. “Part of me staying with him is the fact that he does believe in me. When he has a chance to give me a promotion whether it’s I’m going with him from Elon to JMU (James Madison University), he put a co-defensive coordinator title out there for me. I think he believes in me, I think he trusts me. I feel the same way about him.”

As they begin the next journey together, it’s another rebuild — just like Elon and just like James Madison. This is just on a bigger stage.

“Well, it’s not so much a fit for me, as it is hiring the best person for the program at that particular time,” Cignetti said of his hiringssaid of his hirings. “Then, they’re no different than me. They’re (Haines and Shanahan) accountable, they have to produce year-in and year-out, but they’re good at what they do, and they have.”

Haines and Shanahan are tasked with bringing a scheme and system that blossomed at previous stops to the Big Ten — a place where Indiana has ranked near the bottom on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the majority of the last three seasons.

With a 9-27 overall record and just three Big Ten wins since 2021, there’s no room to go but up. However, Haines feels like there is ‘something special happening’ in Bloomington — a place he’s familiar with.

Haines spent the 2012 season with Indiana football as part of Kevin Wilson’s staff. He was a graduate assistant and came to Indiana after a 1-11 season. They went just 4-8 during his lone. year at IU.

“Not to say that it had a losing feel to it, but I don’t know if the program was ready to take off,” Haines said of Indiana. “I don’t feel that way anymore. I feel something special happening.”

His read is accurate. Indiana has made it to just five bowl games since 1994 and hasn’t been on the winning side of a postseason game since 1991.

There have been just five winning seasons since 1993.

“It’s the buy-in,” Haines added. “The culture feels a little bit different this time than last time.

“The standard of execution has been raised to a new level now. We need to continue to push the scheme and let those guys find their roles in the scheme.”

That scheme has been part of eight straight winning seasons since this trio debuted together. Four seasons have been with at least 10 wins.

They have an overall record of 76-20 since 2016.

That’s due in part to the consistent alignment they all have with each other.

“There was not one particular moment [when it all clicked with us],” Shanahan said. “I feel like we have been through a couple of different spots, difference levels, different schools, and I think naturally when he (Cignetti) kept continuing to climb, my goal was to coach at this level. So, whenever he presented the opportunity, I jumped on it right away. I just feel like we mesh, and we see the game the same way. We have the same core principles and values, which you have heard him speak about, but when it comes to scheme or fundamentals and Xs and Os, we’re definitely in line.”

“He and I are very well aligned in what we believe in philosophically,” Haines said of his relationship with Cignetti. “We’re about tough, physical football teams. We’re about football. The relationship part of it is important, but football, Xs and Os, is what he and I do. It’s what we do for a living.”

‘What we do for a living’ is now set to debut with Indiana football in under two weeks. It’s a part of the Indiana culture that was missing at times.

But if this offseason shows us anything, this fan base is craving a winning culture and winning football program. And if it’s up to this coaching staff — the time to win is now.

“Obviously, everything that has to do with this program has to fit and align with my philosophy, the players we recruit, the people we bring in, coaches and players,” Cignetti said. “But, I’ve seen those guys grow from being real, young coaches, and they’re still young. But, I’ve seen them progress every year.”

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