Measuring Mike Shanahan & Bryant Haines' Single-Season Improvements

Indiana experienced quite a whiplash between 2023 and 2024. Much of that was felt via the new OC and DC schemes.

The whiplash that was the 2023 to 2024 Indiana Football experience cannot be overstated. The program had gone 9-27 in its previous three campaigns, including 3-24 in Big Ten play, which resulted in the Hoosiers hemorrhaging talent into the transfer portal each season after the portal was blown open in 2021. There were few programs – particularly Power 4 programs – feeling the acceleration of the college football landscape blow its doors off like Indiana felt.

Enter Curt Cignetti.

After the well-documented details since Cignetti’s hiring after 2023, the program has mostly been stabilized, or at least is on a path toward stabilization, following the coinciding events of institutional investment into the program and the program’s winningest season (by far).

While it was certainly Cignetti’s leadership and vision that have led Indiana toward a more optimistic future, the on-field success felt in 2024 is also heavily attached to the coordinators he’s developed since 2014 (Bryant Haines) and 2016 (Mike Shanahan) and brought with him to Bloomington from James Madison. Their impact was felt immediately.

Just look at the numbers.

That is some intense improvement across the board. Some observations: