Curt Cignetti Reportedly Signs New Indiana Contract, How Much Money Did HC Get After CFP Title Win?

After leading a historic turnaround for the Indiana football program, capped off by a victory in the College Football Playoff last season, Curt Cignetti has received a new contract.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Cignetti's annual salary has been bumped up to $13.2 million as part of the terms of his agreement with Indiana.

This marks the second time Cignetti has received a raise in the past four months. The Hoosiers announced on Oct. 16 that he agreed to an eight-year deal with an $11.2 million average annual salary through the 2033 season.

Cignetti was able to negotiate that deal at a time when he had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Penn State after James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12.

Per CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah, the October extension for Cignetti contained built-in clauses that gave him leverage over Indiana based on how the team fared.

One of the clauses, for example, was that IU would have 120 days to negotiate a new contract with Cignetti that would put him among the top three highest-paid head coaches if the Hoosiers advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinal.

If no deal was reached within that 120-day period, Cignetti's buyout would drop to zero. There is also a clause requiring Indiana to make a "good faith effort" to hit revenue sharing targets to remain competitive with other top college programs.

Cignetti's new $13.2 million annual salary will make him the second-highest paid head coach in college football, behind Georgia's Kirby Smart ($13.28 million).

Since being hired as Indiana's head coach in November 2023, Cignetti has orchestrated one of the most remarkable program turnarounds in college football history. The Hoosiers won 11 games in his first season, two more than in the previous three years combined.

The 2025 campaign continued the upward trajectory, as the Hoosiers completed a 16-0 season in which they won their first ever national title with a 27-21 victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Cignetti's 27 victories over two seasons already has him ranked eighth on Indiana's all-time coaching wins list.