New Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti fires shots at Big Ten rivals in hilarious welcome speech: ‘Purdue sucks… but so does Michigan and Ohio State!’
- Curt Cignetti was 52-9 in five successful seasons at James Madison University
- Indiana hired Cignetti after firing Tom Allen following their third losing season
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Newly appointed Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti fired up the crowd during his presentation with a hilarious introductory speech.
Cignetti immediately fired shots at Indiana's Big Ten rivals as he expressed his excitement about his new opportunity.
“I've never backseat anyone before and don't plan to start now,” Cignetti said. “Purdue sucks!”
The crowd, dressed in red and white, erupted after Cignetti's first jab before he delivered a haymaker to the school's other rivals.
“But so is Michigan and Ohio State, go to IU,” Cignetti added as the cheering continued.
Curt Cignetti fired shots at Purdue, Michigan and Ohio State during his induction into Indiana
Indiana announced the hiring of Cignetti on Thursday — less than a week after the school fired Allen.
Allen, who Indiana hired in 2017, was fired after the Hoosiers suffered their third straight losing season. Indiana had a 3-9 record this season (1-8 Big Ten), ending the campaign on a three-game skid, with the final straw being a loss to rival Purdue.
Allen had a 33-49 overall record during his tenure but was 9-26 since the 2020 season.
Cignetti comes to Indiana after successfully leading James Madison University for five seasons. Cignetti has a 52-9 record at JMU, including a 31-4 record in conference play.
Indiana hired Cignetti on Thursday after five successful seasons at James Madison University
Cignetti was named Sun Belt Conference coach of the year on Thursday after leading the Dukes to an 11-1 season.
JMU led the nation in both rushing defense and tackles for loss per game, and boasted a top-20 scoring offense and scoring defense under Cignetti.
“I am excited to continue to lead this program and change the culture, mentality and expectation level of Hoosier football,” Cignetti said in a statement.
“I want to thank Director of Athletics Scott Dolson and President Pam Whitten, and I look forward to working with both as we build something special at IU,” Cignetti added. “Both share my vision and belief that great things lie ahead for the IU program.”