Indiana
Curt Cignetti coaching history: Career record, more to know of Indiana football coach
At the news conference formally introducing him as Indiana’s new football coach last December, Curt Cignetti had a simple message when asked about how he will sell the Hoosiers to prospective recruits, the kind he would need to turn around the program’s fortunes.
“I win,” he said. “Google me.”
A quick and easy internet search will confirm his words were as true as they were confident.
REQUIRED READING: IU’s Curt Cignetti and the 35-year-old recliner he can’t let go: ‘Brilliance happens there’
Throughout his 40-year coaching career, Cignetti has been a part of dozens of winning teams. As a head coach, that has been especially true, with a successful five-year run at James Madison serving as the latest example of his prowess.
At Indiana, he’ll face perhaps his biggest challenge yet.
Though they’ve had spurts of success — most recently, the pandemic-affected 2020 season in which they went 6-2 and rose into the top 10 of the national polls — the Hoosiers have largely been a basketball school working to compete in one of college football’s best conferences.
Over the past 30 seasons, they’ve made just five bowl appearances, losing each. They haven’t won even a share of a Big Ten championship since 1967. Since that stellar 2020 run, they’re just 9-27.
If Cignetti’s resume and background are indicative of anything, that may soon change. Ahead of Indiana’s 2024 season opener against Florida International Saturday, here’s a look at Cignetti’s coaching career, record and more:
REQUIRED READING: Can Indiana football’s Curt Cignetti take team to new heights? Bold predictions for 2024
Curt Cignetti coaching career
Cignetti’s path to becoming a head coach in a “Power Four” conference was long and hard-earned.
Shortly after graduating from West Virginia, Cignetti got his start in his hometown of Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant at Pitt, where in 1993 he returned to stay for seven seasons as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach.
After that came another lengthy stint at NC State, where he was the quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach, as well as the recruiting coordinator. Among the players he coached during his seven seasons there was future top-five NFL draft pick and Pro Bowler Philip Rivers.
When Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, Cignetti served as the Crimson Tide’s recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2007-10. During that time, he helped Alabama bring in No. 1 recruiting classes in 2008 and 2009 and, by the end of the 2009 season, the Tide won its first national championship since 1992.
Following the 2010 season, Cignetti took over as the head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), a Division II program about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. Over six years, he guided the Crimson Hawks to the Division II playoffs three times and finished in the top 25 four times.
That success earned him a jump to FCS program Elon, where he went 14-9 over two seasons, a drastic improvement over the 12-45 record the Phoenix compiled in the previous five seasons. They made the FCS playoffs in both seasons, just the second and third time they had ever done so.
In December 2018, Cignetti was hired at James Madison, which had won the FCS championship three years earlier. In his first season, the Dukes went 14-2, a five-win improvement from the previous season, and made it to the FCS championship, losing narrowly to North Dakota State. Under Cignetti, they made the FCS semifinals in each of the next two seasons.
In 2022, James Madison made a long-awaited transition to the FBS. In their first season, the Dukes went 8-3 and finished in a tie for first place in the Sun Belt East Division. As a first-year FBS program, however, they were ineligible for a bowl game. The 2023 season had even more in store for James Madison, which started 10-0 and rose as high as No. 21 in the US LBM Coaches Poll before finishing the regular season 11-1. For his efforts, Cignetti was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year.
Here’s a look at Cignetti’s coaching stops.
Head coach unless specified
- 1983-84: Pitt (GA)
- 1985: Davidson (QB/WR coach)
- 1986-88: Rice (QB coach)
- 1989-92: Temple (QB coach)
- 1993-99: Pitt (QB/WR coach)
- 2000-06: NC State (recruiting coordinator, QB/WR coach)
- 2007-10: Alabama (recruiting coordinator, WR coach)
- 2011-16: IUP
- 2017-18: Elon
- 2019-23: James Madison
- 2024-present: Indiana
REQUIRED READING: IU football Insider roundtable: What’s a Curt Cignetti team look like? Time to find out.
Curt Cignetti record
Over his 13 seasons as a head coach, Cignetti has a record of 119-35, including a 74-20 mark in conference play.
- IUP: 53-17 overall (33-11 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference)
- Elon: 14-9 overall (10-5 Coastal Athletic Association)
- James Madison: 52-9 overall (18-1 CAA) (13-3 Sun Belt)
Curt Cignetti father
Coaching came naturally to Cignetti. After all, it runs in the family.
Cignetti’s father, the late Frank Cignetti, was a longtime college coach. He was the head coach at West Virginia from 1976-79, where he went 17-27. He was named the athletic director at IUP in 1982 and took over as the school’s football coach in 1986. He led the Crimson Hawks for 20 seasons, piloting them to a 182-50-1 record, 13 NCAA playoff berths and two appearances in the national championship game.
He retired after the 2005 season and six years later, his son took over his old post. The elder Cignetti was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Curt Cignetti’s younger brother, Frank Cignetti Jr., is also a coach. He was most recently the offensive coordinator at Pitt before being fired after the 2023 season.
REQUIRED READING: ‘I’m a zero star.’ How JMU transfer Mikail Kamara evolved into pass rusher IU craves.
Curt Cignetti contract
Cignetti will earn $4.25 million in first year of his contract with Indiana, a significant financial step up from the $677,311 he made in his final season at James Madison.
According to terms of a memorandum of understanding he signed in December, Cignetti will make at least $27 million across six seasons at Indiana, not including bonuses and performance incentives.
Tom Allen, Cignetti’s predecessor, brought in $4.51 million in total pay in his final season as the Hoosiers’ coach, according to USA TODAY Sports’ coaching salary database.
Curt Cignetti age
Cignetti, born June 2, 1961, is 63 years old.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.
A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.
The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.
Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.
Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.
No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.
The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.
Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indiana saw a significant decline in veteran homelessness last year, despite the total number of homelessness rising across the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual estimation of the homeless population, known as the Point in Time (PIT) count, Indiana saw an 18.7% decline in veteran homelessness in 2025 compared to the year before.
That marked the second-largest decline of any state by percentage.
Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF) of Indiana specializes in assistance for veterans facing homelessness. CEO Emmy Hildebrand told News 8 the formula that’s finding success is the same that works with any at-risk group: housing and wrap-around services.
Hildebrand said that the formula needs support from the state.
“There is no state funding supporting homeless services in our state,” Hildebrand said. “And very little local funding outside Indianapolis.”
Safety net programs have faced budget cuts, with lawmakers eliminating funding for the Housing First program in 2025. It supported organizations helping people secure stable housing.
And housing advocates have criticized Indiana’s public camping ban as essentially making it illegal to be homeless.
HVAF client Terri Massey, a 34-year-old Navy veteran, said the stigma of being homeless was the most difficult challenge to overcome.
“I’m still trying to provide for my kids,” Massey said “I’m (not) out here being lazy or not trying to do better.”
Massey was working, supporting her children, but found herself sleeping in cars and hotel rooms because she didn’t have stable housing. “Going to that work, working 10 hours, leaving, going to sleep in my car.”
HVAF helped place Massey in a permanent apartment. HVAF also placed Massey in a different kind of “bootcamp” years after her time in the military, learning job skills. She’s looking for a job, but thankful to do it from a place she can call home.
“I am beyond grateful and thankful. I literally pray and thank God every day,” Massey said. “Because for the longest I felt like I was alone. And I had to figure everything out by myself. I didn’t.”
It’s estimated that seven percent of Indiana’s homeless are veterans. Hildebrand said there are federal funds for organizations working with veterans, which support HVAF’s programs.
Still, finding permanent housing is a struggle.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 extremely low-income households in Indiana, just 34 rental homes are affordable and available.
“There are so many people on the bubble that are just one emergency away from living in their car, staying with friends and family, or living on the streets because we don’t have the appropriate system here in Indiana,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said lawmakers assured her they would work to support homeless services, but she hasn’t seen any drafted legislation that might be introduced in the next legislative session.
Across the country, about one in 25 people experiencing homelessness previously served active duty in the armed forces, according to numbers from HUD. Veteran homelessness declined 56% between 2009 and 2025.
-
Vermont5 minutes ago
VT Lottery Gimme 5, Pick 3 results for July 9, 2026
-
Virginia12 minutes agoVirginia cannabis budget language triggers legal confusion, political fallout
-
Washington15 minutes agoTrump’s proposed 250ft Washington arch clears key planning hurdle
-
Wisconsin20 minutes agoA Wisconsin family is suing Target after their 10-month-old died from swallowing a water bead
-
West Virginia27 minutes agoHow midsummer wild berries connect people, wildlife, and West Virginia’s forests – West Virginia Explorer
-
Wyoming30 minutes agoFourth Annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, Wyoming Governor’s Match returning to Casper July 18, 19
-
Crypto35 minutes agoBitdeer Invests $36 Million in First US Sealminer Factory as Bitcoin Mining Margins Stay Tight
-
Finance42 minutes agoHow AI Is Evolving in Sage Intacct and What It Means for Finance Teams | CBIZ
