The No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers were ousted by the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
While they didn’t perform at their best in the College Football Playoff, head coach Curt Cignetti, in his first season at the helm, led the Hoosiers to their best season in program history. Indiana won ten straight games for the first time ever, finishing the season 11-1.
This also marked the first time in program history that the Hoosiers won 11 games in a single season, solidifying their status as one of the top teams in the Big Ten. Following the loss and the conclusion of the 2024 season, Cignetti issued a heartfelt statement, thanking his players and coaches for their dedication and hard work, while also looking ahead to the 2025 season.
“Thank you! Thank you seniors, team & staff for your commitment and hard work. Thank you fans & alums! Thank you IU leadership in particular Pam Whitten & Scott Dolson. Let’s do it again & more! Go IU! #IUFB#GOIU#NeverDaunted.”
Curt Cignetti’s track record speaks for itself. When he boldly told critics to “Google” him at the beginning of the season, he set himself up for scrutiny if he didn’t live up to the hype.
Yet, in his first season at Indiana, he did exactly what he promised-and then some-exceeding every expectation. This was especially impressive given Indiana’s struggles in recent decades and the tough landscape of the Big Ten. Cignetti brought several players with him from James Madison, where he previously coached, and while Indiana didn’t boast any five-star recruits and had few four-stars, he still managed to compete at a high level against the FBS’s elite programs in one of the sport’s toughest conferences. After receiving a significant contract extension during the season, Cignetti now looks to build on this success and establish a sustainable, winning program in Bloomington for years to come.