The bulk of Curt Cignetti’s National Signing Day press conference was devoted to the new players he added through the portal and high school ranks, but he did take some time to talk about the moves Indiana made with its coaching staff this offseason.
After coaching Kurtis Rourke to one of the best passing season’s in the country, Indiana’s quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri left for the offensive coordinator role at UCLA, a natural step forward in his career.
As a replacement, Cignetti signed Chandler Whitmer, who had spent the last four seasons in the professional ranks as an offensive quality control assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers and the Alanta Falcons as a pass game specialist.
Whitmer also has experience at some of the highest profile college footballprograms, like Ohio State and Clemson, where he helped develop Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. His time with the Falcons also saw him work with former Hoosier Mikchael Penix, who appeared in five games and threw for three touchdowns as a rookie last year.
On signing Whitmer, Cignetti said, “Was very impressed with Chandler in our conversations — came highly recommended, a lot of knowledge, been around a lot of great people, excellent teacher. Looking forward to having him join our offense.”
Cignetti’s coaching network famously includes legends like Nick Saban, who Cignetti worked for from 2007-09. That Whitmer came highly recommended from the people Cignetti trusts should put Indiana fans at ease about losing Sunseri, one of the rising talents in the sport.
Indiana was also able to retain defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, who was linked to the openings for the same role at Penn State and Ohio State this offseason. Haines is one of the five finalists for the Broyles award, which is given to the nation’s top assistant, and recently had his contract extended by Indiana.
The Hoosiers have had talented assistants poached in the past, so Cignetti was sure to express his gratitude to the administration that helped him retain his coordinators. “The blue bloods were knocking at the door and we didn’t want to lose him and we were proactive. I really appreciate President Whitten and Scott Dolson for the tremendous support that they’ve provided since I’ve become the head coach that enables us to keep a key person like Bryant Haines.”
If Indiana keeps winning like it did in the 2024 season, Cignetti may find himself hiring and re-signing a lot of coaches. This just comes with the territory of being an elite college football team, as Cignetti wants Indiana to be.