The past two years have truly been a fairy tale for Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. After 40 years of coaching, Cignetti finally got a chance to lead a Power 4 program, and he promised that one of the worst programs in FBS history would become a winner. While Curt Cignetti's goals seemed lofty, he's exceeded every standard he set for himself and this program.
In two seasons, Curt Cignetti has gone 27-2 with a 17-1 record in Big Ten play, winning a Big Ten Championship, a National Championship, and back-to-back Coach of the Year Awards. For reference, it took Cignetti's predecessor Tom Allen into his 6th season to surpass 27 wins with the Hoosiers.
Curt Cignetti gets significant salary bump after Championship
On Friday Morning, Curt Cignetti cashed in as the Indiana pushed his salary to $13.2 million per year while the deal still runs through the end of 2033.
Per an ESPN source, Curt Cignetti has agreed to a new deal at Indiana that pushes his annual salary up to $13.2 million. The deal will go through 2033. Hoosiers have been the ultimate aggressors in keeping Cignetti.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 20, 2026
This new deal marks the 3rd time in two seasons that Indiana has reworked Curt Cignetti's contract. This fall when James Franklin was fired at Penn State, Indiana quickly signed Cignetti to an extension which set him up for this deal. Cignetti had a good faith review clause in that deal which required a revision to make him one of the top 3 highest paid coaches if he reached the Semifinal.
The salary figure makes Curt Cignetti one of three known coaches with deals worth $13 million or more joining Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin who signed his deal this offseason.
Other programs with more history may come calling for Curt Cignetti, but Indiana has proven they're up to the challenge. The school has paid Cignetti, and boosters like Mark Cuban are backing him which now makes it almost impossible to envision he coaches anywhere else the rest of his career.