Few college football programs have experienced as impressive a turnaround as Indiana University. Prior to the 2024 season, the Hoosiers had never won double-digit games in a single season. In fact, the school only had three winning seasons this century. After hiring Curt Cignetti, things changed immediately. Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record in 2024, which included a trip to the College Football Playoff. He followed that up with a perfect 16-0 record in 2025, culminating in a national championship.
How did the Hoosiers repay the man who brought the school the greatest success it had ever seen? Making him one of the richest coaches in college football.
Cignetti and Indiana had already agreed to an extension, but full details were released Monday. Cignetti will earn $105.6 million over eight years, averaging $13.2 million annually. Next season, he is projected to make $13,025,000, which ranks second among head coaches. Only Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13.3 million) will earn more.
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Cignetti will earn more annually than Lane Kiffin, who notoriously left Ole Miss during the season to work at LSU. The Rebels reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, losing to the runner-up Miami Hurricanes. Kiffin received an additional $500,000 thanks to an incentive from his Ole Miss contract. In a charming twist, LSU paid that bonus.
There are also incentives in Cignetti’s contract, including bonuses for achieving a certain number of conference wins and reaching different levels of the College Football Playoff. His deal also includes a $1 million per season retention bonus, which he will earn every Nov. 30. Cignetti’s base salary is just $500,000; The rest of your annual money will come from outside income, marketing and promotion.
The agreement keeps Cignetti with Indiana through the 2033 season. He is already a legend on the Bloomington campus. The Hoosier faithful can’t wait to see what he could accomplish over the next eight years.