Indiana football hires Curt Cignetti as new coach: 'Big things ahead for the IU program.'

Indiana football is finalizing a deal with James Madison coach Curt Cignetti to become the Hoosiers next head coach, a source confirmed to IndyStar.

Cignetti is 52-9 at James Madison, and the Dukes are 19-4 across their first two seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision, including 11-1 this year, the best record in the Sun Belt. On Thursday, he was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year. He took JMU at least as far as the FCS playoff semifinal in each of his three seasons at that level, and he hasn't missed a beat since the move up.

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"I am excited to lead this program forward and change the culture, mindset, and expectation level of Hoosier football," Cignetti said in a news release announcing the hire Thursday afternoon. "I want to thank Director of Athletics Scott Dolson and President Pam Whitten, and I look forward to working with both in building something special at IU. Both share my vision and belief that big things are ahead for the IU program."

A former West Virginia quarterback, Cignetti, 62, built extensive experience in assistant-coaching across stops at Temple, Pitt, N.C. State and Alabama in the 1990s and 2000s. He then took the Indiana (Pa.) job, where he won 53 of 70 games, before two playoff seasons at Elon landed him in Harrisonburg.

Cignetti replaces Tom Allen, who was fired after going 33-49 in seven seasons as IU's head coach.

"I am very excited to welcome Curt Cignetti as the head football coach at Indiana University," IU athletic director Scott Dolson said in the release. "We had a very talented and deep pool of candidates, and Curt stood out thanks to an incredible track record of success over more than four decades in college football. As a head coach he's succeeded everywhere he's been, and as an assistant he has been a part of championship cultures while working alongside some of the game's best coaches. I appreciate the tremendous support throughout this process of Chair Quinn Buckner and the IU Board of Trustees and President Pam Whitten, all of whom were critical in making this day a reality."

We'll have much more on this breaking story at indystar.com.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU football hires James Madison's Curt Cignetti as new head coach