Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti Signs Lucrative New Contract Amidst Historic Season

Indiana University‘s head coach, Curt Cignetti, has become a prominent figure in college football, leading the Hoosiers to a historic 10-0 start and securing a No. 5 ranking in the College Football Playoff standings for 2024. In acknowledgment of this success, Indiana announced that Cignetti has been awarded a new contract, extending his tenure in Bloomington by three additional seasons. This development comes just a week ahead of Indiana’s crucial matchup against the No. 2 ranked Ohio State, scheduled for Saturday at noon Eastern Time.

Cignetti’s new contract includes a significant pay increase, alongside various bonuses and additional support for the football program. Originally signed in December 2023, his initial contract with Indiana was valued at $4.5 million annually. The revised contract raises his salary to $8 million per year and includes a one-year retention bonus, extending through 2029, with provisions for enhanced staff and salary pools for assistants. Sources report the total guaranteed compensation under this new agreement to be approximately $72 million, making Cignetti the highest-paid employee in Indiana University’s history.

During a press conference on Monday, Cignetti expressed gratitude for the university’s commitment to the football program. «The university has made a very significant financial commitment to football in a lot of areas,» he stated. «And I’m appreciative of the opportunity to lead the program and continue to develop it moving forward. I’m excited about our future.»

The timing of this new deal aligns with Indiana’s impressive start to the season, as the Hoosiers aim for a spot in the Big Ten title game and possibly the playoffs. As they face Ohio State, Cignetti will go head-to-head with Ryan Day, the seasoned Buckeyes coach, who is among the top five highest-paid coaches nationwide, earning an annual salary of $10,021,250, according to USA Today’s head coach salaries report.

Before joining Indiana, Cignetti’s career included a successful tenure at James Madison University, where he posted a 52-9 record and led the team to multiple playoff appearances, including a championship game. His initial salary at James Madison was $425,000 in 2019, incrementally increasing to $459,638 by 2021.

For context on Cignetti’s standing among the nation’s college football coaches, the highest-paid is Georgia’s Kirby Smart, with an annual salary of $13.28 million. Other notable salaries include Clemson’s Dabo Swinney at $11.13 million and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian at $10.03 million. With his recent contract, Cignetti ranks among the top 20 highest-paid coaches in the sport.