Indiana locks in star football coach Curt Cignetti with a massive new eight-year deal, cementing his long-term commitment to the school. He's 17-2 in his time at Indiana, and the Hoosiers are No. 3 in the country, the highest ranking in school history.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has signed a contract extension, the university announced Thursday. Cignetti’s new eight-year deal secures him through 2033 with an average annual compensation of $11.6 million.
Cignetti’s updated salary makes him the third-highest paid coach in college football behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13.3 million) and Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($12.6 million). Cignetti’s last extension — which was signed 10 games into his first season at Indiana in 2024 — gave him a salary of $8.3 million.
“We’ve accomplished a lot here in a short amount of time, but still have a lot of work to do,” Cignetti said in a video released by the program. “I couldn’t be more proud to be a Hoosier, and I plan on retiring as a Hoosier. And the way that this state has embraced us and our success in football has meant more to me than anything else.”
The 64-year-old Cignetti is taking Indiana to heights it has never reached. The Hoosiers are 17-2 since he took over as head coach. After going 11-2 and making its first-ever College Football Playoff in 2024, Indiana sits at 6-0 and is ranked third in the nation, which is the program’s highest ranking ever.
Indiana is 12-0 at home since Cignetti took over and 11-1 in Big Ten play. Cignetti — who had previous head coaching stops at James Madison, Elon and Indiana (Pa.) — has Indiana in position to potentially win its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and first national championship ever.
"We are committed to investing in IU football in such a way that we can compete at a championship level," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a press release. "And the No. 1 priority in doing that is ensuring that Coach Cignetti is the leader of our program."
Despite speculation that Penn State — which fired James Franklin on Sunday — may pursue Cignetti, a Pennsylvania native, it appears Cignetti will be staying with the Hoosiers. Indiana’s administration continues to commit the necessary financial resources to ensure that one of college football’s best coaches remains in Bloomington.