Indiana finalizing deal with James Madison coach
We won't be losing coach Hart for now at least.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:21 PM ^
hooray! also a good hire for indiana
November 30th, 2023 at 1:21 PM ^
That sucks for Coach Hart. I am sure something better will come up for him.
Let's runover the Iowa defense this Saturday.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
I don't think JH is going anywhere, but if he did I think Kirk Campbell and Mike Hart would make a good co-OC pair for Sherrone Moore.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
It's funny. Fox is already tagging its videos with "JH to the NFL?" even when there are zero rumors of any NFL interest and the NFL season isn't close to done. But it will generate clicks from Michigan, OSU and MSU fans for different reasons.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
You think there are zero rumors about this? Bruce Feldman was on the Rich Eisen show yesterday saying he does not think Harbaugh will be in Ann Arbor next season. There are plenty of rumors right now and most here, if being honest, believe there's a solid chance Harbaugh jumps after this year.
Harbaugh has continually put the team above himself. I'm guessing that if the NCAA is hinting/telling Michigan that the program will be punished harshly next year, then Harbaugh is leaving and taking the heat himself.
Heck, the guy wanted to be in the NFL the past two offseasons. It doesn't hurt to be honest about this.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Feldman also said he thinks harbaugh will be suspended all of '24 & that the TRO was gonna go through so Harbaugh could coach at Penn State.
He's wrong more than he's right
November 30th, 2023 at 5:34 PM ^
But those are what rumors are. While not everyone is right all the time, there are certainly rumors going around that Harbaugh will not be here next year. I hope that's not the case but it seems like they have a solid plan in place in case he does leave.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
I just got a push notification saying "the Bears might be interested in Harbaugh if they fire Eberflus" and I found that pretty wishy-washy, even for a rumor.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
Eberflus beating the Vikings earned him another year in the Windy City.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
I see that Cignetti has been a head coach for many years (2011) and is on the older side for a new Power Five hire. Interesting.
If Hart were offered the OC job (without any co-coordinator type of arrangement), I think that would be a good move for him at this stage of his career. It would be an upgrade in responsibility.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
yeah you'd have to think cignetti wouldn't be willing to go to indiana off a 11-1 season in the south if he were about 10-15 years younger
November 30th, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
That sucks for Coach Hart
I don't think he was realistically a candidate. It's pretty tough for a position coach in his 30s to land a Power 5 job.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
I thought of that as well. Either way, interviewing for a job and not getting it sucks :)
November 30th, 2023 at 3:38 PM ^
Not getting a job sucks but every opportunity for an interview is a valuable practice rep and getting the experience does not suck, even if it really sucks (e.g. traumatic interview experience)
November 30th, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
Hart is 37 and has never even been a coordinator. It's almost certainly in his best interest to build up a resume within a highly-regarded coaching staff a little further than to jump at the first opportunity. There's a decent likelihood that Harbaugh and/or Moore leave within the next couple years, at which point Hart would likely become our OC. After a couple years at that, he could be one of the hottest coaching candidates in the country and could get a HC job at an opportunity much better than Indiana, and he'd still only be in his mid-40s.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
The DB coach for Georgia, Fran Brown, just got hired to Syracuse's football coach, with no coordinator experience and at a similar age to Hart (41 to 37). I think there is enough equivalence between level of program and experience (especially given Hart's previous time at Indiana as an Associate Head Coach), to say it was reasonable for Hart to be taken seriously as a HC candidate, and in interviews he's expressed as much.
That said, I think there's one big difference between Indiana and Syracuse and that's $$$ from the TV contract, so, for that reason, the calculus may change. For what it's worth, I think Cignetti is a great hire though.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
One of the things about Brown though, is that 247 named him the recruiter of the year, which I think is why Syracuse took a shot on him. No idea if it will work out, as I'm guessing it is a touch harder to recruit to Syracuse than it is Georgia, but I think he's almost an exception when it comes to a position coach getting the head gig because of how he was thought of as a recruiter.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
I see Indiana and Syracuse as roughly equivalent jobs. It might be a little easier to win at Syracuse, because the ACC is pretty bad beyond its top two teams, but Indiana has that sweet B1G money. My point was that if Hart stays at Michigan a bit longer, he should be able to do better than an Indiana/Syracuse-level job.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
And Hart has a better head coaching record than Brown.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
I don't get the assumption that Mike is ready. Sherrone has demonstrated that he is--organizing troops on one side of the ball, and calling plays. Hasn't Mike just worked with one position group?
November 30th, 2023 at 2:40 PM ^
Leaders are leaders. There’s nothing magical about being a coordinator that truly prepares a coach to be the head man. The industry is finally catching up to this wisdom, thus we increasingly see HC jobs being filled by sitting head coaches.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
Very impressive hire
November 30th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
That's a great hire if you're Indiana. Strong track record everywhere he's been as a head coach and big time experience under Saban at 'Bama.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
He had a better chance of a bowl this year at JMU than he will in the next few years.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
I thought the same of this guy not long ago.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
Difficulty: the B1G West will not continue to exist.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
You mean it's NOT gonna be Jon Gruden?!?!?!?!?!?!? Shocking I say
November 30th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
This is a good hire for Indiana. JMUs been very successful under Cignetti, even after moving from FCS to FBS. Frankly I am surprised Cignetti is interested. I would have thought he could do much better than IU.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:22 PM ^
I'm sure the contract will make it worth whatever pain and suffering one experiences from being the Indiana head coach and getting your head bashed in repeatedly by the powers of the new B1G.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:24 PM ^
Coach Hart will get more opportunities - I believe this was his first interview for a HC position.
Until he leaves - he’s ours ….
Go Blue!
November 30th, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
I think this will make Jamie Mac very happy.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
Magnanimous of him to take the demotion.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
Program-wise a demotion perhaps. But not in salary...
November 30th, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
This is a good hire for IU and raises their floor. Does suck for Hart but (a) he'll get another shot, and (b) I hear there may be an opening at JMU...
November 30th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
It's a delusional hire and an error by that coach to accept.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
Coach Hart hasn’t been an OC yet; can he realistically skip that for a head coaching job?
if yes, good on him.
if no, hopefully M can get him that experience over the next few years.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:36 PM ^
Good luck Hoosiers.
You're schedule doesn't lighten up all that much next yr.
@UCLA
Maryland
@NW
Nebrasker
UW
@MSU
Mich
@The Ohio
November 30th, 2023 at 1:36 PM ^
Stupid promotion for that coach. With the conference additions his job just got harder and there are some expectations there (delusional as they are - they just fired Tom Allen).
To get a good power four job he now must win eight to nine games a year over multiple years at IU when there are at least five schools in conference if not more that amount to automatic losses.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
Born in 1961. Maybe just wants the nice big ten pay rate for a few years to pad the retirement fund.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
With the conference additions his job just got harder
Not necessarily. Keep in mind that IU was locked into playing Michigan, OSU and PSU every year up to now. That will no longer be the case. In fact, there could be seasons where they don't play any of them.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
Tom Allen just got a $20 million buy out to not coach there anymore. These levels of coaches think that they change things, plus a ton of money is hard to say no to. I'd say it was a very wise move for him to take it.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:13 PM ^
there are some expectations there (delusional as they are - they just fired Tom Allen
Allen went 2-10 (0-9), 4-8 (2-7) and 3-9 (1-8) the last three years. How long were they supposed to keep him around?
Yeah, he did well in 2020 - when his state didn't shut down as much as some other states and IU got to practice more than teams like Michigan. Once things reopened everywhere else and IU's practice advantage was gone, his program returned to the basement.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
Shocked! I would have thought Cignetti could get a higher profile job.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
If he were 10 years younger he'd be one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country. Harder to get looks when you're over 60.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
Sucks for JMU. Such a great season and this is their reward?
November 30th, 2023 at 1:41 PM ^
Coach Hart will get his shot one day. Until then, love having him back around the program.
I 💙 Hart
November 30th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
Michigan will face Cignetti in Bloomington next year, if hired, as Indiana's next head coach. At least, Mike got a head coaching interview.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^
good hire for them. cignetti coached there for 13 years and had 13 winning seasons. madness
November 30th, 2023 at 1:50 PM ^
Good hire for IU
Also, in potential recruiting news, Clemson just fired their defensive ends coach, which could mean Darien Mayo might be back on the market
November 30th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
Being a RB coach at Michigan is better then being Head Coach at Indiana .