Indiana football defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has done several things at a high level since arriving in Bloomington in 2024, but two things in particular stick out.
- His day-to-day job
- Finding motivation
Haines was named the winner of this past season’s Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football after coordinating smothering performances throughout the regular season and through the postseason against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Oregon in the Peach Bowl. It was his unit
that sealed Indiana’s national championship win over Miami with a late fourth quarter interception. His achievements speak for themselves.
But to see what truly makes Haines great, you just have to be around Indiana in ways that most can’t be, be they fans or media around other programs.
Haines is as fierce of a competitor as they come, you can see it in the occasional opportunities he addresses the media. In the wake of Indiana’s national championship win against Miami, Haines was still incensed about a roughing call on his defense from earlier in Miami’s drive, the kind of play the Hurricanes had made with no flags in the previous three quarters.
Having just marched through a sea of confetti and smiling faces, reaching the pinnacle of his profession, Haines was still mad his defense wasn’t allowed to hit the quarterback. These are the things that fuel him.
Haines finds motivation wherever it may come. Sometimes it’s from Twitter trolls or observations from the media. This time it was former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson commenting on his defense during a podcast appearance in the leadup to the NFL Draft this week.
Simpson appeared on the Downs 2 Business podcast with former Ohio State safety and fellow NFL Draft hopeful Caleb Downs and his older brother, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs. Caleb Downs, who’d lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, asked Simpson about the Rose Bowl.
“From my point of view, I was like, ‘they don’t do much’,” Simpson said. “They do the same thing every down. So, when I got the ball, I knew exactly what was going to happen. They just didn’t mess up, bro. They were in the exact same spot they were supposed to be, they were so well coached, it was so much different than the SEC.
Haines’ unit was coming off of losing top edge rusher Stephen Daley following the win over Ohio State, which came after losing fellow edge Kellan Wyatt against Michigan State in the regular season. He found ways to mitigate this and threw different looks at Alabama.
No matter how the comments were intended, Haines took issue.
The response ignited a firestorm from Alabama fans and media alike, with Crimson Tide faithful stewing over Haines on Twitter. This too drew a response from Haines.
What those who are upset with Haines or wondering about his comments don’t seem to understand is that this is just how he operates. He did the same thing in the leadup to Indiana’s regular season matchup with Oregon and came back with an “I told you so,” to Ducks fans who ridiculed him for being online.
“Put your clown shoes on and dance for me,” became a rallying cry for Indiana fans online in the face of any doubt cast on the team by media or opposing fans throughout the 2025 season. He has fun with it and uses it for that extra bit of motivation.
He, like his boss, isn’t trying to let complacency set in, especially with a full trophy case in the facility this offseason. Simpson’s comments provided what countless others had: extra motivation.
For Alabama fans and media, Haines’ tweets are a weekslong point of discussion. For Haines himself? It was Friday.
