Indiana

Michigan and Washington share ties to historic Indiana football run

Published

2 years ago

January 7, 2024

Michigan and Washington share ties to historic Indiana football run

HOUSTON — The coaching profession is a nomadic lifestyle. Coaches and their families bounce around from town to town amid changing jobs. Sometimes you buy a house, sometimes you rent. Sometimes you don’t need all your furniture.

That’s why Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer’s old kitchen table is currently in Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart’s house, a transaction made in Bloomington, Indiana.

“My wife bought it from him when they were moving out to Fresno,” Hart said with a laugh on Saturday.

Much has been made of the Indiana reunion between DeBoer and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in Seattle, but the roots from IU connect through both Michigan and Washington ahead of Monday’s national championship.

GO DEEPER

Michigan-Washington film: Unique, contrasting offenses clash in national championship

The 2019 and 2020 Hoosiers under Tom Allen produced the program’s best two-year stretch in three decades: 8-5 in 2019 and 6-2 in 2020. Seven people from that staff and roster are involved in this championship.

• Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer (IU offensive coordinator in 2019)
• Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart (assistant from 2017-20)
• Washington co-defensive coordinator William Inge (assistant from 2013-19)
• Washington tight ends coach Nick Sheridan (assistant from 2017-21)
• Washington starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (QB from 2018-21)
• Michigan reserve tight end A.J. Barner (TE from 2020-22)
• Michigan reserve quarterback Jack Tuttle (QB from 2019-22)

“There were great people there,” DeBoer said. “It made it enjoyable and that led to a lot of work getting done and the work led to success. When you have fun doing your job and you have fun coming to practice every day as a player, that’s what we had there. That’s why you see so many successful people and guys doing the things that they’re doing.”

GO DEEPER

Coaches explain the secret to Kalen DeBoer’s success: ‘He has so much humility’

Allen had a lot of familiarity with DeBoer, both as a fellow NAIA coach in the mid-2000s and then on recommendation of the Eastern Michigan staff, where DeBoer previously coached.

“He’s very calm and creates vision for what he wants,” Allen said. “He just had the ability to make the right calls at the right times.”

After consecutive 5-7 seasons, Allen found his breakout year. The 2019 Hoosiers reached the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1994. All four regular-season losses came to ranked opponents, including one at Michigan State where Penix completed 20 consecutive passes at one point.

“Me being at Indiana allowed me to get here,” Penix said. “If I didn’t go to Indiana, I wouldn’t have met Coach DeBoer and probably wouldn’t be here. My whole path, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

After one successful year in Bloomington, DeBoer became the head coach at Fresno State, where he’d served as an assistant from 2017-18. He took Inge with him to be his defensive coordinator. Sheridan was promoted to offensive coordinator at Indiana and continued to work with Hart — his former Michigan teammate. The momentum continued.

The 2020 Hoosiers beat Michigan for the first time since 1987, ending a 24-game losing streak in the series. They reached as high as No. 7 in the AP poll and finished 12th, their highest finish since 1967.

“That staff Coach Allen put together was a good group of guys,” Sheridan said. “Most credit goes to the players. They believed in the vision and committed to it. It was a special run. Everyone that was a part of that looks back on those times fondly.”

Michael Penix Jr. is no stranger to the Wolverines 👀
Throwback to when he led Indiana to victory over Michigan in 2020- will he do it again in the CFP National Championship with the Huskies? 🔮 pic.twitter.com/DuKqcvCfGi
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 3, 2024
Advertisement

Those 2020 Hoosiers nearly played in the Big Ten Championship Game after the Ohio State-Michigan game was canceled due to COVID. But the Big Ten changed its championship criteria, putting Ohio State in the game due to the Buckeyes’ 42-35 win over the Hoosiers.

“We thought that we got screwed a little bit,” Hart said. “But it doesn’t matter now. I always thought we should have beat Ohio State that year if we wanted to go.”

The successful run changed the future of multiple schools. Michigan’s loss to Indiana was the low point of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure in Ann Arbor. He overhauled his staff in the offseason and hired Hart back to Ann Arbor. Indiana’s subsequent downturn coincided with the loss of those coaches and players. Highly-touted defensive coordinator Kane Wommack became the head coach at South Alabama after 2020. When the oft-injured Penix entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season, reuniting with DeBoer was an easy decision. The pair are 25-2 together in Seattle. Indiana, meanwhile, went 9-27 from 2021-23, and Allen was fired in November.

GO DEEPER

Michael Penix Jr.’s portal path to UW and what it means for the Huskies’ next QB

Allen, who became Penn State defensive coordinator last month, now sees many of those Indiana building blocks in the national championship.

“You’re happy for everyone,” Allen said. “You’d love to still have all those coaches. We were hard-pressed to replace Kalen and Kane. That’s the challenge about being at a place like Indiana. When you have success, you can lose your players and your coaches now and it’s hard to replace. But I’m happy for them, without question. It gives you pride that you picked the right guys.”

The group remains close, and not just because of a kitchen table.

Penix and Tuttle have remained in contact and wished each other luck. DeBoer and the Washington staff invited Wommack to the Sugar Bowl last week. Allen saw the pictures. He texts them all regularly to congratulate them on the success. Either way, at least one of his former coaches and players will win the national championship.

“I told them all to go win it,” Allen said. “Only one (side) can, but you’re really just happy they’re all doing well.”

(Photo of Kalen DeBoer: Jeffrey Brown / Getty Images)

Source link

Click to comment

Indiana

No. 2 Indiana tries to complete a 2nd straight perfect home season when Wisconsin visits

Published

17 hours ago

November 13, 2025

Press Room

No. 2 Indiana tries to complete a 2nd straight perfect home season when Wisconsin visits

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has experienced nothing but success in his one season at No. 2 Indiana. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has been through just about everything in his four years with the Hoosiers.

Now the tandem that created one of college football’s biggest plays this season hopes to deliver another memorable moment in what could be their final home game together Saturday against struggling Wisconsin.

This will not be just another senior day at Indiana (10-0, 7-0). For the second straight year, the Hoosiers enter their final two home games with a perfect record, on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot and the possibility of reaching their first Big Ten title game.

But second-year coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t believe the narrative will become a distraction from how the Hoosiers have reached this point.

“I doubt any of them are thinking about the end right now because everybody understands sort of where we’re at and what’s possible,” Cignetti said this week. “I think we’re on a little bit of a mission here, and that’s really been the focus. I think that’s how the kids are thinking, too.”

Mendoza emerged as one of the top players in the transfer portal last year and wound up choosing the Hoosiers in part to reunite with his younger brother, Alberto. The older brother has been even better than advertised by leading the league with 31 total TDs while emerging as a Heisman Trophy favorite and possibly the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Cooper, meanwhile, endured 4-8 and 3-9 seasons and won only three Big Ten games in his first two years at Indiana but has since become a key figure in a remarkable two-year turnaround.

The Hoosiers are trying to extend their school record 14-game winning streak at home and protect the program’s highest ranking against the Badgers (3-6, 1-5). And Cooper’s incredible go-ahead TD catch in the final minute not only gave Indiana its first win at Penn State, it helped them — finally — shed the label of America’s losingest football program. Northwestern now has 716 losses all-time, one more than the Hoosiers.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell knows what his team is up against after snapping an 11-game losing streak against Power Four opponents last week.

“I don’t even know if you asked a coach from within (the program) like if they could pinpoint exactly what it is,” Fickell said when asked about the Hoosiers turnaround. “There’s a lot of things that have gone into it. Great coaching is one of them, great quarterback is another. But whatever they’ve done a really, really good job of in the last few years.”

Quarterback questions

The biggest question for Wisconsin is who will play quarterback Saturday.

Billy Edwards Jr. was the opening-day starter but sprained his knee in that first game and has only played, briefly, in one game since. Danny O’Neil and Hunter Simmons started a combined total of seven games, but when O’Neil was carted off the field with a leg injury last week, Fickell went with first-year quarterback Carter Smith who went 3 of 12 with 8 yards and scored on a 2-yard run in a 13-10 win over then No. 23 Washington.

Who will start Saturday?

“You always have a plan,” he said when asked what he’d do if the Badgers lose any more quarterbacks to injuries. “We’ve still got to figure out who’s one and two before we start to think about who’s the fourth going into a game like this.”

CFP talk

Given the schedule, the CFP selection might want to consult with the Badgers before making its final pairings.

Saturday’s game will be Wisconsin’s sixth this season against a team ranked in the CFP’s Top 25. The Badgers already have faced No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Oregon, No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa.

But Fickell’s players aren’t blaming the brutal schedule for their losses.

“I love every bit of it,” outside linebacker Mason Reiger said. “I’d rather play the best five teams in the country than play none of them. It’s a challenge, sure. It’s not easy to play these good teams, but at some point in college football you want to play the best teams because to be the best, you’ve got to go against the best.”

___

AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee also contributed to this report.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Source link

Indiana

Purdue basketball stats, box score today vs. Evansville: How did Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer play?

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Purdue basketball stats, box score today vs. Evansville: How did Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer play?

Purdue basketball started the 2025-26 season with an 82-51 win over Evansville. Fletcher Loyer led the charge with 5 first-half 3-pointers before finishing with a career-high 30 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn (hip) didn’t play.

Braden Smith stats for Purdue basketball vs. Evansville. How many assists did Braden Smith have?

Braden Smith had 6 points, 11 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

He entered the game with 1,375 career points, 758 assists, 183 steals and 535 rebounds. He was a first-team All-American in 2024-25 and has a chance to set the Division I career assists record.

Purdue basketball stats vs. Evansville today

Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	FG	3FG	FT	PF
Joshua Hughes	15	11	1	6-12	3-7	0-0	3
A.J. Casey	14	9	2	6-13	0-3	2-2	1
Leif Moeller	0	2	3	0-9	0-5	2-2	1
Keishon Porter	2	3	2	1-11	0-3	0-0	3
Alex Hemenway	3	0	0	1-6	1-4	0-0	0
J. Dyson-Merwe	4	7	2	2-2	0-0	0-0	3
Trent Hundley	9	1	1	3-8	3-8	0-0	2
Bryce Quinet	4	2	1	2-9	0-4	0-2	1
Kaia Berridge	0	0	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	1
—	51	40	13	21-70 (30%)	7-34 (20.6%)	2-4 (50%)	15

Evansville basketball stats vs. Purdue today

Who are Purdue’s best players? Purdue basketball roster

0, C.J. Cox
1, Antione West Jr.
2, Fletcher Loyer
3, Braden Smith
4, Trey Kaufman-Renn
5, Liam Murphy
12, Daniel Jacobsen
14, Jack Benter
17, Omer Mayer
24, Gicarri Harris
34, Raleigh Burgess (redshirt)
45, Oscar Cluff

Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.

Source link

Indiana

Signing day: Confirmed signings for Central Indiana high school athletes

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Signing day: Confirmed signings for Central Indiana high school athletes

The early signing period begins on Wednesday for all sports except football, which has its early signing period in December.

These are the confirmed expected signings for Wednesday for Central Indiana athletes. We will update this throughout the day and through the signing period (Nov. 19). Please email kyle.neddenriep@indystar.com with school, sport and college choice to add to list:

Girls soccer

Aryana Ali, Westfield: DePauw

Taylor Baier, Center Grove: Walsh

Riley Boyd, Hamilton Southeastern: Indiana

Coltie Carson, Westfield: Miami

Sydney Cook, Hamilton Southeastern: Purdue

Emma Ehret, Carmel: Indiana

Lucy Elder, Hamilton Southeastern: Hanover

Lola Horstman, Westfield: Western Kentucky

Olivia Joyce, Carmel: Kansas

Kate Klinginsmith, Carmel: Ball State

Mallory Long, Fishers: Earlham

Sarah Maudlin, Fishers: Taylor

Elise May, Fishers: Butler

Sloan May, Hamilton Southeastern: Michigan

Kate Noel, Hamilton Southeastern: Purdue

Kari Radford, Lawrence North: Ball State

Brooke Reiter, Carmel: Loras College

Blair Satterfield, Hamilton Southeastern: Indiana

Taylor Townley, Center Grove: IU Indy

Boys soccer

Carsten Shidler, Noblesville: UIndy

Ryan Weber, Carmel: Iowa State

Softball

Erica Burris, Center Grove: Purdue Northwest

Sofia Easterhaus, Westfield: Marian

Riley Fuhr, Center Grove: Thomas More

Kiersten Hardin, Center Grove: Purdue Northwest

Tatum Hunt, Brownsburg: Marian

Frankie Jackson, Fishers: Mars Hill

Jayden Kleiner, Carmel: Michigan

Kensly Larkin, Brownsburg: Huntington

Ashyr Lawson, Decatur Central: Purdue

Brynn Meyer, Center Grove: Indiana

AG Pogue, Brownsburg: Southern Indiana

Hailey Prather, Brownsburg: Ohio Northern

Addelynn Reed, Center Grove: IU Columbus

Haley Schatko, Noblesville: Indiana

Grace Swedarskiy, Hamilton Southeastern: Virginia Tech

Megan Todd, Bishop Chatard: Concordia (Wis.)

Makayla Watson, Westfield: North Carolina State

Addison Wolf, Center Grove: Columbia

Girls track and field/cross country

Ansley Applegate, Noblesville: Taylor

Gracie Czubik, Westfield: Saginaw Valley State

Sadie Foley, Carmel: Indiana

Ceci Jackson, Bishop Chatard: Indiana

Ella Jenkins, Westfield: Northern Iowa

Julia Score, Bishop Chatard: Wake Forest

Chloe Senefeld, Hamilton Southeastern: Iowa

Carly VonDielingen, Whiteland: Indiana State

Lucy Wood, Brebeuf Jesuit: Butler

Boys track and field/cross country

Eli Balbach, Bishop Chatard: Marian

Phoenix Boyer, Bishop Chatard: Indiana

Cooper Click, Noblesville: Taylor

Konrad Hayden, Fishers: Marian

John Libs, Noblesville: Butler

Liam Powers, Hamilton Southeastern: Belmont

Conrad Schumacher, Lawrence North: Marian

Nate Thomas, Fishers: Xavier

Evan Williams, Lawrence Central: Indiana

Boys basketball

Justin Curry, Noblesville: Valparaiso

Evan Harrell, Carmel: Bellarmine

Brennan Miller, Lawrence North: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Noah Smith, Plainfield: DePauw

Baron Walker, Noblesville: Butler

Luke Weemer, Hamilton Southeastern: Emporia State

Girls basketball

Ke’Adriah Butler, Lawrence Central: Boston College

Antonete Greene, Hamilton Southeastern: Earlham

Kenedy Holman, Hamilton Southeastern: Florida

Alyx Kendall, Bishop Chatard: DePauw

Akya Koenig, Fishers: IU-Kokomo

Elle McCulloch, Brownsburg: Florida Gulf Coast

Aniyah McKenzie, Lawrence Central: Illinois-Chicago

Lola Lampley, Lawrence Central: LSU

C.C. Quigley, Noblesville: Lipscomb

Kayla Stidham, Hamilton Southeastern: Bowling Green

Natalie Thomas, Fishers: Bethel

Berkely Williams, Plainfield: DePauw

Boys golf

Ryan Cesare, Westfield: Marian

Thomas Klinker, Fishers: IU Indy

Tyler Marucci, Noblesville: Indiana Wesleyan

Nathan Springer, Center Grove: IU Indy

Mattingly Upchurch, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Girls golf

Olivia Folwer, Noblesville: Tampa

Janelle Garcia, Hamilton Southeastern: IU Indy

Kelsey Haverluck, Westfield: Western Carolina

Peyton Kauzlick, Noblesville: Saint Mary’s College

Josie Kelley, Noblesville: Eastern Kentucky

Presley White, Noblesville: Taylor

Baseball

Collin Bumps, Fishers: Manchester

Beckett Doane, Noblesville: Mississippi State

Beck Jordan, Westfield: Wabash

Sean Frey, Fishers: Anderson

Aiden Grabowski, Westfield: Indiana Wesleyan

Paul Karnes, Lawrence Central: Franklin

Owen Lukac, Fishers: Evansville

Ryan Murphy, Brownsburg: Creighton

Silas Neal, Carmel: UIndy

Vince Painter, Brownsburg: Bellarmine

Vincent Pecoraro, Fishers: Anderson

Daniel Phillips, Brownsburg: Purdue Northwest

Aiden Reynolds, Noblesville: Indiana

Gavin Russ, Westfield: Ohio Northern

Miles Tebben, Fishers: Grace

Brayden Thompson, Brownsburg: Bethel

Clayton Walther, Westfield: Hope

Hayden Werner, Fishers: Maryville

Corey Wilhelm, Westfield: Rose-Hulman

John Zangrilli, Carmel: Thomas More

Boys lacrosse

Wil Bates, Carmel: Maryville

Charlie Boe, Noblesville: Wabash

Max Brown, Westfield: Point Park

Evan Coulter, Carmel: Anderson

Henry Dvorak, Carmel: LeMoyne

Max McCord, Carmel: Palm Beach Atlantic

Cohen Odle, Carmel: Palm Beach Atlantic

Ike Stitle, Carmel: Siena

E.B. Warren, Carmel: Tampa

Girls lacrosse

Sophia Anthony, Carmel: Lincoln Memorial

Madeleine Biedess, Westfield: Lake Forest

Hannah Cavalcanti, Westfield: UIndy

Sophie Grotjan, Carmel: DePauw

Katie McKeever, Carmel: Belmont

Maggie Piatt, Bishop Chatard: Manhattan

Samantha Worzala, Hamilton Southeastern: Hope

Volleyball

Georgia Bresnahan, Westfield: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Ella Coppock, Noblesville: DePauw

Jasmin Daniels, Hamilton Southeastern: Morehead State

Charlotte Dudik, Bishop Chatard: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Grace Gwin, Bishop Chatard: Earlham

Skylyr Merriman, Center Grove: Franklin

Madison Miles, Hamilton Southeastern: Illinois

Reagan Miles, Hamilton Southeastern: Taylor

Bre Morgan, Hamilton Southeastern: Florida Gulf Coast

Reese Resmer, Noblesville: Kansas State

Merritt Sliwa, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Ashlynn Turner, Noblesville: Marian

Natalie Vance, Center Grove: Southern Illinois

Jayda Vanoskey, Lawrence North: IU-Columbus

Kate Vrabel, Brownsburg: Oakland

Wrestling

Julian Burgett, Fishers: Mercyhurst

Tommy Gibbs, Brownsburg: Indiana

Parker Reynolds, Brownsburg: Purdue

Xavier Smith, Fishers: Purdue

Michael White, Lawrence North: Oklahoma State

Girls swimming and diving

Zoe Baldauf, Carmel: Anderson

Katie Countryman, Bishop Chatard: Bowling Green

Lucy Enoch, Carmel: Florida Atlantic

Adelyn Flessner, North Central: Iowa

Naomi Haines, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Avery Hannon, Fishers: Xavier

Ella Hare, Fishers: Lynn

Mia Henderson, Hamilton Southeastern: Hope

Sabrina Ledwith, Carmel: Florida International

Eryn McMahon, Noblesville: Ball State

Ryan Murphy, Hamilton Southeastern: Anderson

Francesca Ramey, Fishers: Pepperdine

Polina Sopova, Fishers: Ball State

Boys swimming and diving

Camden Bailey, Hamilton Southeastern: DePauw

Kirby Danglade, Fishers: IU Indy

Drew DuBois, Carmel: Seton Hall

Carter Hadley, Carmel: Southern Methodist

Cory Han, Carmel: Columbia

Will Lathrop, Carmel: Xavier

Mason Lawson, Fishers: North Carolina State

Sebastian Rizik, Carmel: Wabash

Lewis Zhang, Carmel: Penn

Girls tennis

Cathy Beckmann, Bishop Chatard: Valparaiso

Boys tennis

Connor Certain, Brownsburg: Marian

Logan Polen, Brownsburg: Trine

Rowing

Callie Carpenter, Carmel: Duquesne

Paul Kiser, Carmel: Syracuse

Lauren Raines, Brebeuf Jesuit: Wisconsin

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

Source link