IU Football Welcomes Back Familiar Faces for Spring Practice

Tino Sunseri returns as QB coach, Tyson Brown joins as new director of athletic performance

Mar. 28, 2026 at 6:38pm

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Indiana University football is welcoming back some familiar faces as they begin spring practice. Tino Sunseri has returned as the Hoosiers' quarterbacks coach after a brief stint as offensive coordinator at UCLA, while Tyson Brown has joined the staff as the new director of athletic performance.

Why it matters

Sunseri and Brown both have previous experience working with IU head coach Curt Cignetti, which should help the Hoosiers maintain continuity as they look to build on their historic 16-0 national championship season in 2025. Their familiarity with the program and coaching staff will be crucial as IU breaks in a new starting quarterback.

The details

Sunseri spent just one year away from Indiana before returning as quarterbacks coach, replacing Chandler Whitmer who left to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cignetti noted that Sunseri's first priority was getting up to speed on the new offensive concepts the Hoosiers implemented last season. Meanwhile, Brown is taking over for Derek Owings, who departed for a similar role at Tennessee after IU's title run. Brown previously worked under Cignetti at Elon before leaving for a higher-paying job at Washington State.

  • Sunseri departed IU to become UCLA's offensive coordinator in 2025.
  • Whitmer left IU in February 2026 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • Owings left IU for Tennessee the day after the Hoosiers won the national championship in 2025.
  • Cignetti hired Brown to join his staff at Elon in 2017, but Brown left shortly after to return to Washington State.

The players

Tino Sunseri

Returning as the quarterbacks coach for Indiana University after a brief stint as offensive coordinator at UCLA.

Tyson Brown

Joining Indiana University as the new director of athletic performance after previously working under head coach Curt Cignetti at Elon.

Curt Cignetti

The head coach of the Indiana University football team, who has worked with both Sunseri and Brown in the past.

Fernando Mendoza

The Indiana quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 2025 as the Hoosiers captured their first-ever national championship.

Chandler Whitmer

The former Indiana quarterback coach who left the program in February 2026 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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What they’re saying

“There's certainly some things that Chandler did with Mendoza, I thought, that really helped his development. The virtual reality technology, for one. That's something that we're still doing, and I think it really helps a quarterback's processing.”

— Curt Cignetti, Head Coach, Indiana University

What’s next

As Indiana's new coaching staff comes together, the focus will be on getting the Hoosiers' new starting quarterback, TCU transfer Josh Hoover, up to speed with the offense ahead of the 2026 season.

The takeaway

Indiana's ability to maintain continuity and bring back familiar faces like Sunseri and Brown will be crucial as they look to defend their national championship and continue the program's recent success under Cignetti.