For the first time in the 58-year history of the prestigious Walter Camp Football Foundation awards, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has been named the national coach of the year in consecutive seasons. He's just the fifth coach to win multiple times. Here's the story and a complete list of winners.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind,. — The Indiana football turnaround has been an amazing story the past two years. It's been so good that coach Curt Cignetti made history on Wednesday night. He was the named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach ever to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
The prestigious award, given out since 1967, has honored many of the legends of the game through. the years, but no one has even won consecutive seasons. Cignetti joins an elite group of just five college coaches who have won the award more than once, joining Joe Paterno (Penn State; 2005, 1994, 1972), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma; 2003 and 2000), Nick Saban (Alabama; 2018 and 2008) and Gary Patterson (TCU, 2014 and 2009).
The award is bestowed by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and via a vote by the nation’s 136 FBS head coaches and sports communicators.
Cignetti was hired in December 2023 and took over an Indiana program with the most losses in college football history. But all he's done is go 11-2 in 2024, setting a school record for wins wit hteir only two losses to national champion Ohio State and national runner-up Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.
The 2025 season was even better. The Hoosiers went 13-0, the only unbeaten team in the country, and won their first Big Ten title since 1967 with a thrilling 13-10 win over No. 1 Ohio State last Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was their first outright title since 1945, and it earned them the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 playoffs. They will play the Alabama-Oklahoma winner in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1
Cignetti is the second Indiana coach to win the award. John Pont won the inaugural award in 1967.
“Look, I’m greatly appreciative, but this is a team effort,’’ Cignetti said after receiving the award in Bloomington. “It starts at the top with (Indiana) president Pam Whitten, (athletic director) Scott Dolson, my assistant coaches, our players and support staff our fans, alums, donors, all the things that make this happen.''
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was named the Walter Camp Foundation Player of the year, and it's only the fifth time a school has swept the player/coach honors in the same season.
The only other schools to do it were Alabama in 2018 (Tua Tagovailoa/Nick Saban), Notre Dame in 2012 (Manti Te’o, Brian Kelly), Oklahoma in 2000 (Josh Heupel, Bob Stoops) and Miami in 1986 (Vinny Testaverde, Jimmy Johnson)
Mendoza is the second Indiana player to win the award, joining running back Anthony Thompson in 1989. The currently leads the nation in passing touchdowns (33) and is the Power 4 leader in touchdowns responsible for (39).
He is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three-straight games of at least four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions — C.J. Stroud (Ohio State; 2021) and Kyle Orton (Purdue; 2004, four straight).
The Miami, Fla., native is the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least 90 percent completion and four touchdown passes versus Power 4 opponents.
The Hoosiers earned the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff and will play the winner of Alabama/Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2026. The game from Rose Bowl Stadium will kick at 4 p.m. ET.
Walter Camp coaching award year-by-year
1967 — John Pont, Indiana
1968 — Woody Hayes, Ohio State
1969 — Bo Schembechler, Michigan
1970 — Bob Blackman, Dartmouth
1971 — Bob Devaney, Nebraska
1972 — Joe Paterno, Penn State
1973 — Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh
1974 — Barry Switzer, Oklahoma
1975 — Frank Kush, Arizona State
1976 — Frank Burns, Rutgers
1977 — Lou Holtz, Arkansas
1978 — Warren Powers, Missouri
1979 — John Mackovic, Wake Forest
1980 — Vince Dooley, Georgia
1981 — Jackie Sherrill, Pittsburgh
1982 — Jerry Stovall, LSU
1983 — Mike White, Illinois
1984 — Joe Morrison, South Carolina
1985 — Fisher DeBerry, Air Force
1986 — Jimmy Johnson, Miami
1987 — Dick MacPherson, Syracuse
1988 — Don Nehlan, West Virginia
1989 — Bill McCartney, Colorado
1990 — Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech
1991 — Bobby Bowden, Florida State
1992 — Gene Stallings, Alabama
1993 — Terry Bowden, Auburn
1994 — Joe Paterno, Penn State
1995 — Gary Barnett, Northwestern
1996 — Bruce Snyder, Arizona State
1997 — Lloyd Carr, Michigan
1998 — Bill Snyder, Kansas State
1999 — Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
2000 — Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
2001 — Ralph Friedgen, Maryland
2002 — Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
2003 — Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
2004 — Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
2005 — Joe Paterno, Penn State
2006 — Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2007 — Mark Mangino, Kansas
2008 — Nick Saban, Alabama
2009 — Gary Patterson, TCU
2010 — Chip Kelly, Oregon
2011 — Les Miles, LSU
2012 — Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
2013 — David Cutcliffe, Duke
2014 — Gary Patterson, TCU
2015 — Dabo Swinney, Clemson
2016 — Mike MacIntyre, Colorado
2017 — Mark Richt, Miami
2018 — Nick Saban, Alabama
2019 — Ed Orgeron, LSU
2020 — Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
2021 — Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
2022 — Sonny Dykes, TCU
2023 — Kalen DeBoer, Washington
2024 — Curt Cignetti, Indiana
2025 — Curt Cignetti, Indiana