Bryant Haines
Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach |
Team | Indiana |
Conference | Big Ten |
Biographical details | |
Born | London, Ohio, U.S. | October 17, 1985
Playing career | |
2004–2008 | Ball State |
Position(s) | Linebacker |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
2009 | Manchester (DL) |
2010–2011 | Adrian (S&C/DL) |
2012 | Indiana (GA) |
2013 | Ohio State (GA) |
2014–2015 | IUP (S&C/DL) |
2016 | UC Davis (LB) |
2017–2018 | Elon (LB) |
2019–2021 | James Madison (co-DC/LB) |
2022–2023 | James Madison (DC/LB) |
2024–present | Indiana (DC/LB) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
Third-team All-MAC (2008) |
Bryant Travis Haines (born October 17, 1985) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the current defensive coordinator and linebackers coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He played college football for the Ball State Cardinals where he earned All-MAC honors before retiring and becoming a coach.
High school career
[edit]Haines played at Piqua High School in Piqua, Ohio. He helped the team to a state runner-up finish as a freshman and a conference championship as a sophomore. As a senior, he made 35 catches for 700 yards with eight touchdowns, plus recorded 95 tackles and four interceptions. He earned All-Greater Western Ohio Conference twice, All-Dayton honors and a SuperPrep.com Preseason All-American. Haines also participated in the Ohio North-South All-Star game.[1]
College career
[edit]Haines played as a linebacker for the Ball State Cardinals from 2004 to 2008. After redshirting in 2004, he started all 11 games as a freshman in 2005, leading the team in tackles and earning College Football News Freshman All-America Second Team honors. Despite missing four games due to a knee injury in 2006, he returned to start the season's final two games. In 2007, Haines started all 13 games, leading the team in tackles and ranking 36th nationally with 9.62 tackles per game, and earned the Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week.[2] As a senior in 2008, he played in 13 games, earning third-team All-MAC honors and was named to the Butkus Award Watch List. He concluded his collegiate career with 86 tackles in his final season.
Coaching career
[edit]Following his graduation from Ball State in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in general studies, Haines began his coaching career as the defensive line coach at Manchester.[3] He then served as the defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at Adrian from 2010 to 2011.[4] In 2012, Haines became a defensive graduate assistant at Indiana, followed by a similar role at Ohio State in 2013, where he worked with the linebackers during the Buckeyes' undefeated regular season.
In 2014, Haines joined Curt Cignetti's staff at IUP as the defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator.[5] During his tenure, IUP led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in several defensive categories. He then served as the linebackers coach at UC Davis in 2016, where he coached Nas Anesi to second-team All-Big Sky honors.[6]
Haines continued his coaching career at Elon from 2017 to 2018 as the linebackers coach, mentoring players like Warren Messer to All-CAA and All-America honors.[7][8] In December 2018, he joined James Madison as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach,[9] later being promoted to defensive coordinator. Under his guidance, JMU's defense consistently ranked among the top in the nation in various statistical categories.[10][11]
In 2024, Haines reunited with head coach Curt Cignetti at Indiana, taking on the role of defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.[12] That season, Indiana's defense ranked second nationally in yards allowed per game (256.3) and sixth in scoring defense (15.6 points per game). Haines was recognized as a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Haines is the son of Randy and Michele Haines and has a brother, Tyler, who played football at Defiance and also worked as an offensive coordinator at IUP and is currently the head coach at Catawba.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bryant Haines". ballstatesports.com. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Haines Receives Football Weekly Award from MAC". ballstatsports.com. September 10, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Golden, Todd (August 16, 2024). "Indiana Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines Thinks Football Culture Has Improved". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ London, Mike (December 18, 2022). "College football: New Catawba coach has a lot going for him". Salisbury Post. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Flick, Daniel (August 17, 2024). "How football-crazed defensive coordinator Bryant Haines rebuilt Indiana's pass rush". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Gould adds Keane, Haines to football coaching staff". ucdavisaggies.com. January 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Cignetti Introduces Elon Football Coaching Staff". elonphoenix.com. February 2, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Phoenix Football Preview: The Linebackers". elonphoenix.com. August 10, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Cignetti Adds Hetherman and Merritt to JMU Football Coaching Staff". jmusports.com. December 20, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines Selected to 2022 AFCA 35 Under 35". jmusports.com. December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines Named Semifinalist for Broyles Award". jmusports.com. November 20, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Ankony, Jack (June 5, 2024). "Meet the Coaches: Indiana Defensive Coordinator Bryant Haines Recognized Among Top Assistants in Nation". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Haines a Broyles Award Finalist". iuhoosiers.com. December 11, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Osterman, Zach (August 20, 2024). "Curt Cignetti's IU football coordinators know him well". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 1985 births
- Living people
- Players of American football from Miami County, Ohio
- Sportspeople from Piqua, Ohio
- American football linebackers
- Ball State Cardinals football players
- Coaches of American football from Ohio
- Manchester Spartans football coaches
- Adrian Bulldogs football coaches
- Indiana Hoosiers football coaches
- Ohio State Buckeyes football coaches
- IUP Crimson Hawks football coaches
- UC Davis Aggies football coaches
- Elon Phoenix football coaches
- James Madison Dukes football coaches