Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti will be staying in Bloomington for the foreseeable future.
Cignetti and the Hoosiers agreed to an eight-year contract worth $8 million annually, the program announced in a press release Saturday morning. The deal runs through Nov. 30, 2032, and comes with an annual $1 million retention bonus.
“I am beyond appreciative for the tremendous commitment, confidence, and support from President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson,” Cignetti said in the release. “[My wife] Manette and I love Bloomington and are grateful for how the IU community has embraced us. I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football."
Cignetti was expected to be highly pursued by other universities with head coach openings, which he acknowledged during an appearance Saturday on FOX Big Noon Kickoff.
But leaving Bloomington after one season makes little sense to the 63-year-old Cignetti.
“We’re the emerging superpower in college football,” Cignetti said. “Why would I leave?”
Cignetti, who went 52-9 as head coach at James Madison University from 2019-23, signed a six-year, $27 million contract with Indiana on Nov. 30, 2023. His $4.5 million annual salary ranked 15th among the Big Ten’s 18 coaches, according to The Athletic. Cignetti’s new deal puts him fifth in the conference and inside the top 20 nationally.
Since being hired, Cignetti has flipped the Hoosiers’ roster, coaching staff and, subsequently, on-field results. Indiana is 10-0, which marks the first 10-win season in program history, and is ranked No. 5 in the country, its highest spot since 1967.
Whitten described it as one of college football’s greatest turnarounds — one that’s “shown the world IU is also a football school.”
“Coach Cignetti exemplifies IU's goal to win in all that we do,” Whitten said in the release. “The success he has brought to Indiana football is shining a light on all that is amazing about Indiana University. We are excited that Coach Cignetti and his wonderful family will be a part of the Hoosier Nation for many years to come.”
The Hoosiers were 9-27 from 2021-23, which led to the firing of then-head coach Tom Allen following last season. Cignetti, who’s a legitimate candidate for the Bear Bryant Award given annually to college football’s best coach, was hired less than one week after Allen’s firing.
Dolson said he and Whitten believed Cignetti was the right fit for the program by the end of their first meeting. In the 11 ½ months since, he’s proven them right.
“We were confident IU could become a winning program and we love what he’s building here,” Dolson said in the release. “We love the student-athletes he’s bringing here. We love how our fanbase has rallied around this team and made Memorial Stadium the place to be on Saturday afternoons. And now, we love the fact that he’s going to be doing all those things right here in Bloomington for a long, long time.”
The Hoosiers are currently on a bye week and will return to action against No. 2 Ohio State at noon Nov. 23 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
This story was updated to include quotes from Cignetti's appearance on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff.
