Curt Cignetti Is Now One Of College Football's Highest-Paid Coaches After Indiana Gives Him A $93 Million Contract

For much of its existence, Indiana has been known as a basketball school. The program even has its own movie, the charming 1986 film Hoosiers. Sure, the basketball team has only made two NCAA Tournaments since 2016, which was also the last time the school reached a Sweet Sixteen. Still, hoops and Hoosiers are synonymous. Although Curt Cignetti is turning Indiana into a football powerhouse right before our eyes.

Last year, in his first season with the team, Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. It marked the first time Indiana has reached the playoff. Cignetti has kept the good times going this year, as the Hoosiers sit at 6-0 and are the No. 3 team in the country.

The Hoosiers have already been impressed and offered Cignetti a massive new deal worth $93 million over eight years, which will keep him at the school through the 2033 season. At an average annual value of $11.6 million, Cignetti will now have one of the highest salaries in all of college football.

Justin Casterline/Getty Images for ONIT

Only Kirby Smart of Georgia (about $13.3 million per year) and Ohio State's Ryan Day (about $12.6 million annually) will make more per season than Cignetti. And both of those guys have won national titles. Indiana would love a similar outcome.

In a season and a half, Cignetti has already won more games than his predecessor Tom Allen did over his past four seasons. The Hoosiers' 11-2 record last year was also the first time ever that the school won double-digit games in a single season. Indiana has had a football program since 1887, so that's a truly staggering stat. Speaking of staggering stats, here's Curt's salary progression since 2007:

A hell of a salary progression for Curt Cignetti:

2007, Bama WR coach, $170,000

2009, Bama WR coach, $200,000

2010, Bama WR coach, $250,000

2011, IUP HC, $125,000

2022, JMU HC, $425,000

2023, JMU HC, $677,000

2024, Indiana HC, $4.5 million

2025, Indiana HC, $11.6 million

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 17, 2025

Indiana posted a video about the deal on its social media channels. Cignetti is featured in the video, saying, "I couldn't be more proud to be a Hoosier, and I plan on retiring a Hoosier."

But first, the 64-year-old Cignetti has another goal at hand. He's already earned a Big Ten Coach of the Year and national coach of the year from multiple organizations. He's set single-season school records for wins and conference wins. With an October 11 victory over the then-No. 3 Oregon Ducks, Cignetti became the first Indiana coach to defeat an AP Top 5 team on the road.

With all that already under his belt, winning a title would be an ending fitting for Hoosiers. Only instead of a basketball court, this sequel would be on the football field.