logo
Curt Cignetti retains key member of Indiana football staff pursued by Big Ten rival

Curt Cignetti retains key member of Indiana football staff pursued by Big Ten rival

BLOOMINGTON — IU signed football's head strength coach, Derek Owings, to a new three-year deal on improved terms Friday, amid interest from Southern Cal.
Owings, who has been with Curt Cignetti for several years dating back to Cignetti's time at James Madison, has routinely been described by his coach as among the most important members of Cignetti's staff.
As recently as Thursday, during an appearance at a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser in Bloomington, Cignetti called Owings — whose official title is director of athletic performance, football — 'cutting edge' in his approach to strength and conditioning.
Owings attended that fundraiser with Cignetti. And more than once during the 2024 season, which for Indiana ended in the College Football Playoff, Cignetti cited Owings as a key pillar to his program's success.
All of which led USC to express serious interest in tempting Owings west to join Lincoln Riley's reclamation project in University Park.
Since November, Indiana has inked Cignetti to a robust eight-year contract and handed out more lucrative deals to nearly all his assistants. Owings himself got a raise to $635,000 per year in that round of new contracts last winter. His refreshed contract now becomes the latest example of that commitment.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Notre Dame football will visit Arkansas with a noon kickoff time on September 27th
Notre Dame football will visit Arkansas with a noon kickoff time on September 27th

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Notre Dame football will visit Arkansas with a noon kickoff time on September 27th

Notre Dame football will visit Arkansas with a noon kickoff time on September 27th As the college football season is quickly approaching, Notre Dame football is starting to find out more about its 2025 schedule. On Wednesday, the second road game of the year's start time was announced, a contest at Arkansas, an SEC team that occasionally has solid seasons. However, it hasn't been since 2021 since they had a top-3 conference finish, after going 4-8 last year. The battle between Notre Dame and Arkansas will be played on Sept. 27th., with the kickoff set for 12:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC, as the Irish will look to take out yet another SEC team after defeating Georgia last year in the College Football Playoff and Texas A&M, who is the home opener opponent this year, in the season opener of 2024. This will be the first matchup between the two teams in their history, and we'll see if Notre Dame can once again go into SEC territory and return home with a victory.

ESPN's future power rankings spotlight Michigan football potential with QB Bryce Underwood
ESPN's future power rankings spotlight Michigan football potential with QB Bryce Underwood

USA Today

time3 hours ago

  • USA Today

ESPN's future power rankings spotlight Michigan football potential with QB Bryce Underwood

ESPN's future power rankings spotlight Michigan football potential with QB Bryce Underwood Every year, ESPN attempts to look into its college football crystal ball to predict what the top teams in the sport will look like, not only this upcoming season, but in the future beyond that. With its future power rankings, ESPN predicts what teams will dominate the sport years down the road. Though the Wolverines were No. 5 last year, they've fallen -- albeit not too far -- in Adam Rittenberg's latest. In the current 12-team College Football Playoff era, Michigan comes in at No. 13, though Rittenberg notes that the future looks bright in Ann Arbor. 13. Michigan Wolverines Previous future power ranking: 5 Returning quarterback: No (thankfully?). Michigan needed a reset at quarterback after a dreadful passing season, and will turn to No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood or Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene this season. (...) Roster management: Coach Sherrone Moore is starting to flex some recruiting muscle, as Michigan finished with ESPN's No. 7 class for 2025, boosted by Underwood. Michigan has been smart and selective in the portal, and its additions along both lines and at running back with Alabama transfer Justice Haynes will impact the upcoming season. Star power: There are massive expectations around Underwood, and his development the next two seasons will shape Michigan's overall outlook. The Wolverines return one of the nation's best kickers in Dominic Zvada, and defenders like end Derrick Moore and cornerback Zeke Berry should contend for All-Big Ten honors. Coaching staff: Moore has settled in after much of the staff followed predecessor Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers. He will be judged largely on the success of offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who had no previous ties to Moore or Michigan. The team retained defensive coordinator Wink Martindale for a second season. There's more at ESPN about the roster, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines. Of course, Michigan is behind several Big Ten teams that outperfomed the Wolverines last season -- Ohio State is No. 2, Oregon is No. 4, and Penn State is No. 6. Will the rankings swing back in Michigan's favor should the Wolverines round back into form? Given the wild swing year-over-year, it sure seems like it.

Michigan football in hot pursuit of 5-star RB Savion Hiter in official visit this weekend
Michigan football in hot pursuit of 5-star RB Savion Hiter in official visit this weekend

USA Today

time4 hours ago

  • USA Today

Michigan football in hot pursuit of 5-star RB Savion Hiter in official visit this weekend

Michigan football in hot pursuit of 5-star RB Savion Hiter in official visit this weekend Michigan football recruiting is in full swing, with two official visit weekends down and two more coming up. The Wolverines have hosted some top targets, including five-stars Felix Ojo and Trenton Henderson, but this upcoming weekend will see the maize and blue bring in arguably its top overall target in the 2026 cycle. The maize and blue have made no bones about Mineral (Va.) Louisa County five-star running back Savion Hiter being near or atop their board. After taking off much of the month of May from a recruiting perspective, rebuilding momentum with Hiter is key, and soon, the Wolverines will have that opportunity. Hiter set to visit Ann Arbor Hiter has been on campus before, including during the season when he visited for the Oregon game in November 2024. Now, the five-star is set to make his way back to Ann Arbor for his official visit this weekend. Rated the No. 17 player in the country, regardless of position, Hiter is also the top-rated running back in the 2026 class. He's being recruited by Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford, who started developing their relationship when he was at Ohio State. That carried over to the Wolverines once he defected from the Buckeyes last spring. Outlook and scouting report Michigan appears to be battling Tennessee, Ohio State, and Georgia for Hiter's services. The Vols and Buckeyes both made moves while the Wolverines self-imposed recruiting restrictions in May. It's likely that Michigan still leads, but it has more work cut out for it than it had before. 247Sports' Andrew Ivins has the evaluation, comparing him to Omarion Hampton -- who was last coached by new maize and blue offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey during his time at North Carolina: Juiced-up running back with star potential for a College Football Playoff contender given the mix of his burst, power, agility, balance and vision. Has dominated the combine setting (1.52 10-yard split, 4.12 shuttle, 36-inch vertical jump) and is equipped with ready-to-play mass as he's already tipping the scales at 200 pounds. Effective as both an inside and outside runner as he's quick to chart a course and charge forward. Fast feet allow him to side-step trouble as he frequently dances around would-be tacklers in the backfield and turns negative plays into positive plays. Core strength and a lower pad level routinely negate arm tackles while full-speed cuts make it even harder for defenders to get him on the ground, especially when he breaks through the first wave of obstacles. Hasn't caught a ton of passes at the prep level, but has proven to be a tricky cover at offseason camps and looks to have true three-down potential as his physicality will only continue to give him an advantage in pass protection. Overall, should be viewed as a gifted ball carrier that can be a multi-year impact player on Saturdays and provide valuable minutes as early as Year 1. Must avoid setbacks and remain hungry, but profiles as a future NFL Draft pick with his size, testing and feel for the position. Hiter has visited Ohio State and Georgia officially thus far, with Michigan up this weekend and Tennessee next. He has no predictions in as of yet, but Ohio State has the current On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine lead, despite most insiders being cautiously optimistic that the Wolverines are in the pole position. The maize and blue have been a run-first team in recent memory, and though there will be more of an onus on the pass game, Lindsey has shown during his time with the Tar Heels that he prefers balance, with prolific rushing to go along with a downfield aerial attack.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store