Tino Sunseri To Leave Indiana For UCLA, But Indiana Retains All Other Assistants

Quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri will leave Indiana for UCLA after the College Football Playoff. But head coach Curt Cignetti has retained the rest of his staff with new contracts.

Indiana quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri instructs the Hoosiers during fall camp. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Following one season as Indiana's quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator, Tino Sunseri will become the offensive coordinator at UCLA next season, sources confirmed to Hoosiers On SI Thursday afternoon.

Sunseri will stay with the Hoosiers through the College Football Playoff, which will be officially announced Dec. 8 and begins Dec. 20. Despite Sunseri's departure, Indiana has retained the nine other assistant coaches on its 2024 staff, as well as director of athletic performance Derek Owings, with new contracts.

Indiana recently agreed to a new eight-year contract with head coach Curt Cignetti, which includes an average annual compensation of $8 million and several potential bonuses. Another key factor in the contract is an on-field staff salary and support pool of $11,000,000 per year, which was roughly doubled from the previous contract.

The nine retained assistants include, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Grant Cain, safeties and defensive backs coach Ola Adams, offensive line coach and run game coordinator Bob Bostad, defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz, running backs coach John Miller, cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong and defensive ends coach Buddha Williams, though details of their new contracts are not available at this time.

Sunseri will take over for former UCLA offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who was fired Thursday after one season with the Bruins, and join head coach Deshaun Foster's staff.

In his lone season in Bloomington, Sunseri guided Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke to second-team All-Big Ten honors. Rourke completed completed 202-of-287 passes (70.4%) for 2,827 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions and led the nation with a 181.4 passer rating.

Sunseri was previously the quarterbacks coach under Cignetti at James Madison from 2021-23, helping three Dukes quarterbacks win conference player of the year honors. He also had coaching stints Alabama, Tennessee and Florida State, following his playing career at Pittsburgh from 2009-12 and in the Canadian Football League from 2013-15.

Though Cignetti will have to replace a key position after Sunseri's departure, he'll retain his offensive and defensive play callers, plus the majority of his position coaches and strength coach, heading into his second season at Indiana. The Hoosiers are 11-1 following the 2024 regular season and await their postseason fate Sunday.