Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

1950 – 1975

Overview

This quarter century of Indiana football featured perhaps the peak of the program’s success when head coach John Pont led the Hoosiers to the 1968 Rose Bowl. This era got off to a rocky start as the Hoosiers cycled through three head coaches: Clyde Smith (1948-1951), Bernie Crimmins (1952-1956), and Bob Hicks (1957). These three coaches combined for just a 22-67-1 record. By the time Hicks took charge, Indiana was being investigated for potential NCAA violations. Phil Dickens came to town during the investigation and led Indiana to a modest fifth place finish in the Big Ten, a 3-2-1 overall record.