Tino Sunseri Returns to Indiana: A Familiar Face Rejoins Curt Cignetti’s Staff to Lead Hoosiers QBs
Tino Sunseri is back in Bloomington, and he’s not just passing through. Indiana announced Wednesday night that Sunseri will return to his previous role as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under head coach Curt Cignetti, reuniting a tandem that’s already built a strong track record together.
Sunseri’s return comes at a pivotal time for the Hoosiers, who are looking to build on a transformative 2025 season that saw quarterback Fernando Mendoza rise to Heisman Trophy heights under the guidance of Chandler Whitmer. With Whitmer now heading to the NFL to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their quarterbacks coach, Indiana is turning back to a trusted name-one with deep ties to this staff and a proven track record of developing quarterbacks.
A Quick Exit from UCLA, A Swift Return to Familiar Ground
Sunseri spent the 2025 season at UCLA, where he was handed the reins as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach by then-head coach DeShaun Foster. It was Sunseri’s first crack at full-time play-calling at the Power Five level, but the stint was short-lived. Following Foster’s midseason dismissal, Sunseri parted ways with the Bruins after just a few months.
Now back at Indiana, Sunseri steps into a more stable situation-and one where the relationships are already in place. He’s worked closely with Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan before, both at James Madison and during his previous stop at IU in 2024. That familiarity should pay dividends as the Hoosiers prepare for a 2026 campaign with high expectations and a talented quarterback room.
The Task Ahead: Developing Josh Hoover and a Deep QB Room
Sunseri will take over a quarterback group that’s as intriguing as it is deep. Leading the way is redshirt senior Josh Hoover, a high-profile transfer from TCU who’s expected to be the starter in 2026. Hoover brings experience and upside, but he’ll need to get up to speed quickly in Indiana’s system-a challenge Sunseri is well-equipped to handle.
Behind Hoover, the Hoosiers have seventh-year senior Grant Wilson and two redshirt freshmen in Tyler Cherry and Jacob Bell. And looking ahead, Indiana already has a commitment from four-star 2027 quarterback prospect Jameson Purcell, signaling that the pipeline is staying strong.
A Proven Developer of Quarterbacks
Sunseri’s coaching résumé may be relatively short in years, but it’s packed with results. In his first stint at Indiana in 2024, he helped quarterback Kurtis Rourke set a program record with 29 touchdown passes and earn a top-10 finish in Heisman voting. That kind of immediate impact doesn’t go unnoticed.
Before Indiana, Sunseri made his mark at James Madison, where he spent three seasons mentoring a string of highly productive quarterbacks. His QBs averaged over 3,400 passing yards and 32 touchdowns per season, with three different players earning conference player of the year honors. One of them, Cole Johnson, set JMU single-season records in passing yards (3,779), touchdowns (41), and completions (287) in 2021 and was a finalist for the FCS Walter Payton Award.
In 2023, it was Jordan McCloud’s turn to shine under Sunseri, earning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors and finishing top-10 nationally in several key categories, including passing touchdowns (32) and total offense per game (309.2). The year before, Todd Centeio was named both Sun Belt Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year after a 25-touchdown, five-interception campaign.
Alabama Roots and NFL-Caliber Mentorship
Sunseri’s foundation as a coach was built at Alabama, where he spent two and a half years as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban, working closely with quarterbacks. During that time, the Crimson Tide won a national title in 2020 and went 24-2 across two seasons.
He was part of the staff that helped develop Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones-both Heisman finalists and first-round NFL draft picks. Jones, in particular, set the NCAA single-season completion percentage record (77.4%) during that national championship run.
Sunseri’s responsibilities in Tuscaloosa went beyond the typical GA role. He was involved in film breakdown, self-scouting, scripting practices, and opponent analysis-experience that helped shape his analytical approach to quarterback development.
From the Field to the Sideline: A Quarterback’s Journey
Before he was coaching quarterbacks, Sunseri was one. He made 39 straight starts at Pitt from 2008 to 2012, where he played under Cignetti’s brother, Frank Jr.
Sunseri left Pittsburgh ranked second in school history in total offense (8,591 yards) and third in passing yards (8,590). His senior season was especially efficient-3,288 yards, 21 touchdowns, just three interceptions, and a 65% completion rate.
After college, he played three seasons in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, winning a Grey Cup in 2013 and starting games in 2014.
Coaching Pedigree and Personal Ties
Football runs deep in the Sunseri family. Tino’s father, Sal Sunseri, has nearly four decades of coaching experience at the college and NFL levels.
A four-time national champion and former Broyles Award finalist, Sal has coached defensive lines at Alabama and Colorado in recent years. That kind of football lineage adds another layer to Tino's coaching DNA.
Sunseri holds a communications degree with a minor in history from Pitt and married Ashlyn James in 2023.
Bottom Line: Tino Sunseri’s return to Indiana isn’t just a reunion-it’s a calculated move to keep the Hoosiers’ quarterback development pipeline humming. With a deep QB room and a high-upside transfer in Josh Hoover, Sunseri steps into a situation ripe with opportunity. His track record suggests he’s more than capable of turning that opportunity into production.