Opinion: IU Fans Should Be Happy For Penix and Former IU Staff, but Don't Forget How You Treated Them at IU

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

When the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines kickoff in the 2024 College Football Playoff Final next Monday night there will be plenty of Hoosier ties involved on both sides.

The Huskies are led by former IU quarterback Michael Penix and head coach Kalen Deboer. Washington also has former Hoosier coaches Nick Sheridan (tight ends) and William Inge (linebackers) on staff. Michigan has former IU running backs coach Mike Hart and backup quarterback Jack Tuttle and tight end A.J. Barner on their sidelines.

IU fans have adopted the Washington Huskies as their “other” team to root for the last two seasons and it has been fun to see Deboer and Penix flourish and make a run at a national title. However, one should not forget how a loud minority of Hoosier Nation treated all of the former Hoosiers during their time in Bloomington.

On social media it has been nothing but love for the former Hoosiers now that they have found success somewhere else, but just a few years ago that was not always the sentiment with some of the most vocal of Hoosier fans.

Let’s start with Kalen DeBoer, who was hired as Indiana’s offensive coordinatior after the 2018 season. Some fans said it was a poor hire because his name was too close to the coach he was replacing Mike Debord. Seriously, that was an argument not to hire the guy.

On to William Inge who was brought in by Kevin Wilson to be a co-defensive coordinator. Inge helped develop linebackers like Tegray Scales, Marcus Oliver and Chris Covington among others. Fans love to blame former head coach Tom Allen for not sending the hands team out in the Gator Bowl in 2019…well they forget that Inge was the special teams coordinator and that they called for his head after the game.

The other favorite punching bag for IU fans is former offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who was actually the OC during IU’s magical 2020 season and who Kalen Deboer recommended get the job after he left for Fresno State. IU fans ran him out of town after the 2021 season.

Finally, on to Michael Penix. He has become the darling of IUFB fans the last two years while wearing purple and gold. Penix had some great moments for IU and had a chance to be special. However, I remember the vocal part of the fan base ridiculing him for his injuries and saying that he was not tough enough and made of glass.

So my point is this IU fans. Root for Washington, be happy for Penix and all the former Hoosier staff members, but don’t forget how they were treated while they were wearing the cream and crimson and don’t claim this national title (should UW win) as an IU triumph.