BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — IU head coach Curt Cignetti is leading the football program to unprecedented levels. The Hoosiers are ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in program history. They have set a program record for wins in each of the past two seasons. Plus, IU won its first bowl game since 1991 this season, winning the Rose Bowl. “The first time I talked to Coach Cig on the phone, I could tell I just felt like, boy, this is someone who’s different,” IU director of athletics Scott Dolson said. The reason Cignetti is a Hoosier is because of Dolson. “We wanted a coach that really had the qualities that we felt could could win consistently,” Dolson said. “We wanted an existing head coach. That’s kind of the science part. The art part, is we wanted someone that really fit with us, that was authentic, that our fans could embrace, that really wanted to be here.” It’s turned out to be a home run hire. Cignetti was introduced as head coach in December of 2023, and few thought he would be able to turn this program around so quickly. “I would say by day three, I remember saying to my wife, ‘It feels like he’s been here six months, because it feels like he’s just worked tirelessly already,'” Dolson said. “I know he said it from the we interviewed him to the time he arrived, he’d say there’s no self-imposed limitations, that he came here expecting to win and we certainly were right there with him.” One stat that shows just how much Cignetti has changed everything in Bloomington is football attendance. Over 54,000 fans attended each of the Hoosiers’ Big Ten games this season, a far cry from the empty seats in the past. “It’s what we’ve always wanted and now we’re just paranoid about doing everything we can to keep the program where it is and to be consistently successful,” Dolson said. Dolson is all-in on Cignetti. This past October, Cignetti signed a new eight-year contract, worth around $11.6 million per year, a big sign that IU is investing in the head coach. “Certainly he’s the key,” Dolson said. “Coach Cig is the key ingredient to all this, so making certain that we have consistency with him and he feels our support, and certainly we’ve committed to each other, and that’s pretty well documented.” That commitment may very well pay dividends for a long time. “He’s really unified everyone together with a common belief that anything is possible,” Dolson said. IU is set to play Oregon in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in the Peach Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday. ...read more read less