The Indiana Hoosiers pulled it off. They were the least successful college football program up until a few years ago, and now they are national champions, beating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. Head coach Curt Cignetti engineered one of the best program turnarounds in history, drawing praise. Even two-time Super Bowl champ LeSean McCoy went to extreme lengths to give him the credit that he deserves.
Curt Cignetti Crowned the Greatest by LeSean McCoy
Cignetti worked his way up to land the Indiana job. He saw something that very few fans would have seen. He found potential and brought some of his old players to build something special. In his first season, he brought Indiana from a horrendous program to its first 10-0 start in program history. Now, this season, they did even better, beating every other team en route to 16-0 and a national championship.
“[Curt Cignetti] is the greatest coach of all time,” said McCoy.
“[Curt Cignetti] is the greatest coach of all time”
– @CutonDime25 sends high praise to IU’s head coach following an INCREDIBLE undefeated season
COME CHECK US OUT LIVE IN THE CHAT RIGHT NOW ➡️ https://t.co/f4H3dQB55c pic.twitter.com/8xDURWLyJE
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) January 20, 2026
This compliment is not to be taken lightly from McCoy, who’s won at the next level twice. It might be a stretch considering he’s only won the national championship once, but he’s turned Indiana into a force to be reckoned with. He was unreal with James Madison before he came to the Hoosiers, and he is a winner. That’s the bottom line: Cignetti wins football games.
Cignetti has built his team through the transfer portal, bringing in Fernando Mendoza to be his quarterback. Well, this decision looked genius as Mendoza blossomed from a good quarterback into a Heisman trophy winner, the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick, and of course, a national champion. He has an eye for talent and found the right pieces to build one of the most complete teams in college football.
The Hoosiers didn’t just beat teams; they decimated them. Everyone knows how prestigious the Alabama football program is, and Indiana beat them by 35. Oregon is a powerhouse, but it was no problem for the Hoosiers. Indiana dropped 56 points on them and won by 34. Cignetti’s team thumped everyone in sight and, apart from a few scares, were very rarely in trouble.
Indiana is a football powerhouse, and Cignetti deserves all the credit. If fans thought Indiana would go away after this season, it’s hard to envision that this team won’t be in title contention as long as Cignetti is at the helm.
