Curt Cignetti is in Bloomington for the long haul.
The second-year Indiana football head coach agreed to terms on a new eight-year contract with an average annual salary of $11.6 million, according to an Indiana Athletics release Thursday. Cignetti’s contract runs through Nov. 30, 2033.
“My wife, Manette, and I love Indiana University, Bloomington, the state of Indiana, the people we’ve met,” Cignetti said in a video on Indiana football’s X post Thursday. “We have very strong feelings about President Whitten and Scott Dolson. We’ve accomplished a lot here in a short amount of time but still have a lot of work to do.”
Cignetti first arrived in Bloomington on Nov. 30, 2023, to take over at the helm of the Hoosiers. His original contract was a six-year deal worth $4.5 million per year.
However, after guiding Indiana to a 10-0 start in his first season, Cignetti agreed to a new eight-year contract at $8 million annually on Nov. 16, 2024. The day before, Cignetti deemed the Hoosiers “the emerging superpower in college football” on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” He asked why he would leave.
Cignetti isn’t. There was speculation by fans and media pundits that Cignetti may leave for Penn State’s vacant head coaching position, or any other jobs that may open.
“We are committed to investing in IU Football in such a way that we can compete at a championship level, and the No. 1 priority in doing that is ensuring that Coach Cignetti is the leader of our program,” IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said in the release. “His accomplishments during the last season and a half have been nothing short of remarkable.”
Cignetti’s new contract would’ve slotted him below just the University of Georgia Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day for the highest head coaching salary in 2025, excluding private universities.
Indiana made its first College Football Playoff appearance last season under Cignetti and appears poised to return this season. The Hoosiers began their season with three nonconference wins before notching a victory over then-No. 9 Illinois. The Cream and Crimson defeated Iowa on the road Sept. 27 before notching another top 10 win, this time away from Bloomington over then-No. 3 Oregon on Oct. 11.
“We’ve accomplished a lot here in a short amount of time, but still have a lot of work to do,” Cignetti said. “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.”
Indiana is 17-2 under Cignetti’s guidance. And over its last 12 games dating back to 2024, ESPN’s “College GameDay” has been in attendance ahead of four. Cignetti’s taken the Hoosiers to the upper echelon of college football in less than two years. Winning titles remains.
The Hoosiers have three home games and three road contests left on their schedule this season. They sit tied atop the Big Ten standings with Ohio State, as a conference title game appearance appears certain should the Hoosiers handle their remaining opponents.
But on Thursday, Cignetti wanted to make clear he’s at Indiana for good, signing a new contract and sending a message to fans on camera.
“As much as anyone, he believed in what was possible with our program, and he’s turned that belief into reality,” Dolson said. “This is a great day for IU football and Indiana University. I look forward to working alongside Coach Cignetti for many years to come.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
