Indiana's Curt Cignetti becomes one of highest-paid coaches in college football

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has agreed to an eight-year contract extension that runs through 2033, the university announced Thursday. 

The deal averages approximately $11.6 million per year, making Cignetti the third-highest paid coach in college football behind Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Georgia’s Kirby Smart. He was previously 18th on the list of college football coaches salaries with $8.3 million per year. 

“At Indiana University, we are committed to performing at the highest levels in everything we do, and no one has exemplified that more than Coach Cignetti,” Indiana President Pamela Whitten said in a statement. “Put simply, Cig is a winner. From last year’s College Football Playoff appearance to this year’s top-three national ranking, IU football’s success has been tremendous.”

Cignetti has transformed the Hoosiers into a national contender in just two seasons at the helm. Since arriving in Bloomington, IU has gone 17-2, including an 11-1 mark against Big Ten opponents. He was named National and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2024 after leading Indiana to its first College Football Playoff berth and an 11-1 regular season.

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The Hoosiers are currently 6-0 this season and ranked No. 3 nationally, which is the highest mark in program history. They have impressive wins over No. 9 Illinois and No. 3 Oregon.

IU athletic director Scott Dolson said retaining Cignetti was the top priority. “His accomplishments have been nothing short of remarkable,” Dolson said. “This is a great day for IU Football and Indiana University.”

This comes as Cignetti was mentioned as a target to replace James Franklin at Penn State. However, any chance of that happening has now been silenced. 

Indiana hosts Michigan State on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. ET, Peacock). 

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