Tino Sunseri goes to UCLA, others sign new contracts

BLOOMINGTON – IU quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri is expected to leave Indiana to take the open coordinator position at UCLA.

A source confirmed Sunseri’s expected departure to Westwood on Thursday afternoon, although he will remain through the Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff run.

The remaining nine assistant coaches on Curt Cignetti’s staff, as well as Derek Owings, director of football athletic performance, have all signed new multi-year contracts with Indiana, IndyStar confirmed.

Cignetti isn’t the only one getting a raise.The salary pool for assistants is now among the highest in FBS.

Insider:What IU’s financial commitment means for Curt Cignetti

Sunseri’s impending move is no surprise. The Pitt alum was considered a rising star when he coached under Cignetti at James Madison, and Sunseri’s work this season alongside co-OC and play caller Mike Shanahan helped the Hoosiers build one of the most productive offenses in America.

Sunseri played a critical role in the recruitment and development of Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke, whose cross-conference performances this season played a key role in the Hoosiers’ advance to the College Football Playoff. According to CFBStats.com, Rourke led the country in passer rating in 2024, and his 27 touchdowns and 9.9 yards per attempt were either first or tied for first in the Big Ten. His 70.4% completion percentage would be a single-season program record if it lasted into the postseason.

When Sunseri moved from Harrisonburg to Bloomington last winter, he added “co-coordinator” to his title, making his move west a natural step up. UCLA parted ways with coordinator Eric Bienemy early Thursday after an inconsistent offense paved the way to a 5-7 record in head coach DeShaun Foster’s first season at the helm of the Bruins.

Foster will know Sunseri thanks, among other things, to his time with the Carolina Panthers. Foster was a running back at Carolina from 2002 to 2007 and worked there at the same time as Sal Sunseri, Tino’s father and the Panthers’ defensive coach from 2002 to 2008.

It’s not yet clear who Cignetti is targeting to replace Sunseri, but Sunseri is expected to remain with Indiana’s team through the end of the Hoosiers’ playoff run.

While Sunseri’s departure leaves a key role on Cignetti’s offensive staff vacant, the retention of the remaining assistants will be a significant boost for a coach who has often viewed staff continuity as the key to success.

Cignetti will keep his two play callers, Shanahan and two-time Broyles Award semifinalist defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, in place. Cignetti will retain the offensive and defensive staff that contributed to significant turnarounds at the line of scrimmage for IU this winter. And Cignetti will stick with Owings, a strength and conditioning coach in whom Cignetti has great trust and responsibility.

Details of the new terms and conditions for the remaining employees were not immediately available. But it’s clear that an assistant coaching salary pool roughly doubled by commitments from Cignetti’s own new contract, confirmed last month, helped the Hoosiers retain the bulk of the staff that oversaw the most successful season in program history to keep in place.

Indiana is No. 9 in the current College Football Playoff Top 25 Selection Committee and will learn its official playoff fate Sunday afternoon when the final post-conference championship rankings are released. The Hoosiers appear to be at large and will likely travel to their first round game on the road later this month.

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