New Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti fires shots at Big Ten rivals in hilarious welcome speech: 'Purdue sucks... but so does Michigan and Ohio State!'

Indiana's newly-appointed football coach Curt Cignetti fired up the crowd at his presentation with a hilarious introduction speech. 

Cignetti immediately fired shots at Indiana's Big Ten rivals as he expressed his excitement at his new opportunity. 

'I've never taken a backseat to anybody and don't plan on starting now,' Cignetti said. 'Purdue sucks!'

The crowd, draped in red and white, erupted after Cignetti's initial jab before he delivered a haymaker to the school's other rivals.

'But so does Michigan and Ohio State, go IU,' Cignetti added as the cheers continued. 

Indiana announced Cignetti's hiring on Thursday - less than a week after the school fired Allen. 

Allen, whom Indiana hired in 2017, was let go after the Hoosiers suffered a third consecutive losing season. Indiana had a 3-9 record (1-8 Big Ten) this season, ending the campaign on a three-game skid with the final blow being a loss to rival Purdue. 

Allen had a 33-49 overall record during his tenure but was 9-26 since the 2020 season.

Cignetti joins Indiana after successfully leading James Madison University for five seasons. Cignetti has a 52-9 record at JMU, including a 31-4 record in conference play. 

Cignetti was named the Sun Belt Conference coach of the year on Thursday after leading the Dukes to an 11-1 season. 

JMU led the nation in both rushing defense and tackles for loss per game, and boasted a top-20 scoring offense and scoring defense under Cignetti. 

'I am excited to lead this program forward and change the culture, mindset, and expectation level of Hoosier football,' Cignetti said in a statement. 

'I want to thank Director of Athletics Scott Dolson and President Pam Whitten, and I look forward to working with both in building something special at IU,' Cignetti added. 'Both share my vision and belief that big things are ahead for the IU program.'