Head coach Curt Cignetti has rewritten Indiana football’s record books throughout his two seasons in Bloomington, delivering the program’s first national championship. Now, he’s reaping the contractual rewards.
Cignetti has signed a new contract worth $13.2 million annually, according to a report Friday morning from IndyStar’s Zach Osterman and the Herald-Times' Michael Niziolek, that runs through 2033.
Cignetti previously signed an eight-year deal in mid-October, which would’ve paid him $11.6 million annually. However, per a clause in his agreement, his contract underwent a “good faith review” to ensure he would be no less than the third-highest-paid active head coach in college football.
Cignetti’s agreement elevates him to one of three head coaches with a contract of at least $13 million annually, joining the University of Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Louisiana State University’s Lane Kiffin.
Friday marks the fourth contract he’s signed at Indiana, joining his original contract from November 2023, one in early November 2024 and another in mid-October 2025. The IndyStar couldn’t confirm whether Cignetti’s new deal has any other adjustments to the terms of his most recent contract. The Indiana Daily Student requested a copy of Cignetti’s contract but did not receive it by publication.
Cignetti earned $3.3 million in bonuses throughout the Hoosiers’ 2025 season, according to his contract from October. He netted $2 million alone by winning the national championship.
Cignetti has retained key assistants, including offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, throughout this time in Bloomington. Haines’ deal, which he signed in December 2025, placed him among college football’s highest-paid assistants.
But for all the success Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to on the gridiron, he’s explained several times that none of it would be possible without commitment from IU President Pamela Whitten and athletic director Scott Dolson.
“I am tied to those two, Pam Whitten and Scott Dolson, all the way 100%,” Cignetti said during the Indiana Memorial Union Board’s “A Conversation with Coach Cignetti” on Tuesday.
Dolson and Whitten have previously indicated Indiana is focused on continuing to invest in its football program. Friday marks another chapter in that dedication.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
