The Indiana Hoosiers football team represents Indiana University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 30 different head coaches since it began play during the 1887 season. Over 139 seasons, the Hoosiers have compiled an overall record of 516 wins, 712 losses, and 45 ties (.423 all-time winning percentage).
Six different head coaches have led the Hoosiers to postseason bowl games: John Pont, Lee Corso, Bill Mallory, Bill Lynch, Kevin Wilson and Tom Allen. Indiana has a 3–8 record over 11 bowl games in which they have competed. The Hoosiers have been guided to the Big Ten Conference title twice: in 1945 by Bo McMillin and in 1967 by Pont. The 1967 season culminated in the Hoosiers' first and only Rose Bowl appearance, a 14–3 loss to USC.
McMillin spent the most seasons (14) as the Indiana head coach, but Bill Mallory has led the Hoosiers for the most games (149). Mallory took the program to six different bowl games, far more than any other coach in school history. The highest winning percentage by any coach is by Madison G. Gonterman, who led the Hoosiers to a 12–3–1 record (.781) over two seasons in 1896–97. The lowest winning percentage for any coach in the modern era is by Bob Hicks, who went 1–8 (.111) in 1957, his only season at the helm.
In 2007, head coach Terry Hoeppner died of brain cancer. Offensive coordinator Bill Lynch took over as head coach and led the 2007 Hoosiers to a 7–6 season, which included a last-second win over rival Purdue in the Bucket Game and a trip to the Insight Bowl. The bowl berth was the first for the Hoosiers in 14 years.
Kevin Wilson would take over the Hoosiers football program in December 2011. With an overall record of 26–47, Wilson would bring the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 2007, at the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl. This would be Wilson's only bowl game, as Wilson resigned on December 1, 2016, amidst "philosophical differences" with Athletic Director Fred Glass and allegations of player mistreatment.
Tom Allen succeeded Wilson. Indiana was the first head coaching job for Allen, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in December 2016. Allen's first game as head coach of the Hoosiers was on December 28, 2016, in the Foster Farms Bowl. Allen coached the Hoosiers in three bowl games total, including during the 2020 season when Indiana finished 12th in the AP poll. Allen was fired after the 2023 season, which concluded three straight losing seasons with a combined 3–24 Big Ten Conference record. Curt Cignetti was named the 30th head coach at Indiana in November 2023.
Key
| General | Overall | Conference | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Order of coaches | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage | ||||
Coaches
| No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DCs | CCs | NCs | National Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur B. Woodford | 1887–1888 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.250 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 2 | Evans Woollen | 1889 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 3 | Billy Herod | 1891 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.167 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 0 | No Coach | 1892–1893 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0.350 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 4 | Gustave Ferbert & Joseph R. Hudelson |
1894 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0.100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 5 | Winchester Osgood & Robert Wrenn |
1895 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.563 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 6 | Madison G. Gonterman | 1896–1897 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0.719 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 7 | James H. Horne | 1898–1904 | 59 | 33 | 21 | 5 | 0.602 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 0.206 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 8 | James M. Sheldon | 1905–1913 | 64 | 35 | 26 | 3 | 0.570 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 0.235 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 9 | Clarence Childs | 1914–1915 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0.464 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 10 | Ewald O. Stiehm | 1916–1921 | 39 | 20 | 18 | 1 | 0.526 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0.344 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 11 | James P. Herron | 1922 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0.286 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.167 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 12 | Bill Ingram | 1923–1925 | 23 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0.457 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0.292 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 13 | Harlan Page | 1926–1930 | 41 | 14 | 24 | 3 | 0.378 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 0.261 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 14 | Earl C. Hayes | 1931–1933 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 0.333 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 0.235 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 15 | Bo McMillin | 1934–1947 | 122 | 63 | 48 | 11 | 0.561 | 34 | 34 | 6 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 16 | Clyde B. Smith | 1948–1951 | 36 | 9 | 26 | 1 | 0.264 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 0.174 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 17 | Bernie Crimmins | 1952–1956 | 45 | 13 | 32 | 0 | 0.289 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 0.200 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 18 | Bob Hicks | 1957 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.111 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 19 | Phil Dickens | 1958–1964 | 63 | 20 | 41 | 2 | 0.333 | 8 | 34 | 2 | 0.205 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 20 | John Pont | 1965–1972 | 83 | 31 | 51 | 1 | 0.380 | 21 | 36 | 1 | 0.371 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 21 | Lee Corso | 1973–1982 | 111 | 41 | 68 | 2 | 0.378 | 27 | 53 | 2 | 0.341 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 22 | Sam Wyche | 1983 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0.273 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 23 | Bill Mallory | 1984–1996 | 149 | 69 | 77 | 3 | 0.473 | 39 | 65 | 1 | 0.376 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 24 | Cam Cameron | 1997–2001 | 55 | 18 | 37 | — | 0.327 | 12 | 28 | — | 0.300 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 25 | Gerry DiNardo | 2002–2004 | 35 | 8 | 27 | — | 0.229 | 3 | 21 | — | 0.125 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 26 | Terry Hoeppner | 2005–2006 | 23 | 9 | 14 | — | 0.391 | 4 | 12 | — | 0.250 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 27 | Bill Lynch | 2007–2010 | 49 | 19 | 30 | — | 0.388 | 6 | 26 | — | 0.188 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 28 | Kevin Wilson | 2011–2016 | 73 | 26 | 47 | — | 0.356 | 12 | 37 | — | 0.245 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 29 | Tom Allen | 2016–2023 | 82 | 33 | 49 | — | 0.402 | 18 | 43 | — | 0.295 | 0 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFCA Coach of the Year Award (2020) |
| 30 | Curt Cignetti | 2024–present | 13 | 11 | 2 | — | 0.846 | 8 | 1 | — | .888 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFCA Coach of the Year Award (2024) |
Notes
- Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.
- A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.
- When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.
- Indiana has been a member of Big Ten Conference since the 1899 season.
- Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
References
- "Indiana Football 2012 Record Book" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- "Hoeppner's death is a loss for all of football". ESPN. June 19, 2007. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- "2007 Insight Bowl Preview, College Football Bowl Games". Collegefootballpoll.com. December 31, 1991. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- Gregg Doyel and Zach Osterman (December 1, 2016). "Sources:IU to dismiss football coach Wilson". www.indystar.com. Indianapolis Star. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- "Chris Widlic (@Chris_Widlic) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- Doyel, Gregg; Osterman, Zach (December 1, 2016). "IU, Kevin Wilson part ways; Tom Allen named new head coach". indystar.com. Indianapolis Star. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- IU Athletics (November 30, 2023). "Cignetti Named 30th Head Football Coach at Indiana University". www.iuathletics.com. Indiana University. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
| Indiana Hoosiers head football coaches | |
|---|---|
# denotes interim head coach |
| Head football coaches of the Big Ten Conference | |
|---|---|
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