Indiana football is turning to a familiar face to lead its offense once again. Tino Sunseri is returning to Bloomington as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, sources confirm, stepping back into the role he held during Curt Cignetti’s first season at the helm in 2024. He’ll replace Chandler Whitmer, who departed after one season to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their quarterbacks coach.
This move brings things full circle for Sunseri, who left Indiana after a standout 2024 campaign to take over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCLA. That stint, however, was short-lived. After just four games, Sunseri and the Bruins mutually agreed to part ways following the dismissal of head coach DeShaun Foster.
Sunseri’s initial run with the Hoosiers was nothing short of impressive. He played a pivotal role in Indiana’s offensive resurgence, particularly in the development of quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
Under Sunseri’s guidance, Rourke put up big numbers-3,042 passing yards and 29 touchdowns-while leading Indiana to an 11-2 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff. It was a breakout year for both the program and the quarterback, and Sunseri’s fingerprints were all over it.
Before joining Indiana the first time, Sunseri worked under Cignetti at James Madison from 2021 to 2023, coaching a string of productive quarterbacks. His JMU signal-callers averaged 3,400 passing yards and 32 touchdowns per season-a testament to both his system and his ability to develop talent.
Sunseri’s coaching path has taken him through some of college football’s most respected programs. He was a graduate assistant at Alabama from 2019 to 2020, working closely with quarterbacks under Nick Saban.
During that stretch, he helped mentor future NFL first-round picks and Heisman finalists Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones. That kind of experience, especially in a quarterback room filled with elite talent, is invaluable.
His earlier stops included quality control roles at Tennessee in 2018 and Florida State from 2016 to 2017, where he worked under Jimbo Fisher. Each stop added another layer to his coaching resume, particularly in offensive strategy and quarterback development.
Sunseri also brings a player’s perspective to the job. A former starting quarterback at Pitt, he made 39 consecutive starts from 2008 to 2012.
During his college career, he was coached by Frank Cignetti Jr.-brother of Curt Cignetti-and shared the field with current Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, who was a wide receiver for the Panthers at the time. That shared history could help foster even stronger cohesion on Indiana’s offensive staff.
After college, Sunseri spent three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2013 to 2015, rounding out a playing career that spanned both the NCAA and the pros.
Now, he’s back in Bloomington, reunited with a head coach he knows well and stepping into a system where he’s already found success. For Indiana, it’s a move that brings continuity and proven results at a time when the program is looking to build on its recent momentum. And for Sunseri, it’s another shot to lead an offense with big aspirations.