With Cignetti, IU is hoping to awaken the `sleeping giant'

IU's new coach has a tough-guy edge and a history of massive success. Is he the guy, finally, to turn around the Hoosiers' fortunes?

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As sleeping giants go, IU football has been in REM slumber for the better part of a century. There have been blips of success, like 2019 and 2020 with Tom Allen and the upstart Hoosiers, like the Bill Mallory years, but for the most part, IU fans have joined their football program in a deep sleep. But, as the students like to say, at IU, they’ve never lost a tailgate.

I mentioned the idea that IU may be a sleeping giant to athletic director Scott Dolson and he looked at me quizzically.

“Did you hear me say that?” he said with a smile. “Because during one of my conversations with (new IU football coach) Curt (Cignetti), I said exactly that. `We’re a sleeping giant.’ ”