"Now we've got to do our part and keep putting it on the field to keep this thing growing," said Cignetti.
Athletic Director Scott Dolson recalled that Cignetti perfectly matched the twelve specific success attributes he identified through a historical analysis of successful collegiate programs when the university searched for a replacement for Tom Allen in November 2023.
"I'll never forget the first phone call with coach Cig," said Dolson.
The athletic department concluded the hiring process on November 30, 2023, just four days after opening the position, following consultation with executive firm TurnkeyZRG and discussions involving Dolson and Quinn Buckner.
"When I was looking at my notes of all the qualities that we needed, it was like somebody had photocopied that and had given it to him.
He was absolutely everything that I was saying, he was saying. It couldn't have gone better," said Dolson.
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Indiana will open the 2026 regular season at home in Bloomington against North Texas on September 5 at noon.
