The Indiana Hoosiers are staying very aggressive in ensuring Curt Cignetti is not tempted away from the school.
The Hoosiers restructured Cignetti’s contract on Friday for the third time in two years, rewarding the head coach for his national title win. The coach’s annual salary will rise to $13.2 million, placing him in the elite group of coaches with a salary over $13 million. He had previously been making $11.6 million annually.
Per an ESPN source, Curt Cignetti has agreed to a new deal at Indiana that pushes his annual salary up to $13.2 million. The deal will go through 2033. Hoosiers have been the ultimate aggressors in keeping Cignetti.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 20, 2026
Since the Hoosiers are not a blue blood program, there is regular speculation that another team could lure him away. He has even been linked to an NFL job, though he maintains he has no interest in that. Still, the Hoosiers are taking no chances.
The explanation for Indiana’s aggression is obvious. Cignetti has gone 27-2 in his first two seasons with Indiana, turning a moribund program into a national champion. The Hoosiers went 16-0 last season and beat the likes of Oregon, Alabama, and Miami to win the College Football Playoff.
Cignetti’s new deal makes him one of three coaches making at least $13 million a year, joining Georgia’s Kirby Smart and LSU’s Lane Kiffin. Few would argue he is not worth the investment.
