It’s been quite a ride for Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. In just two years, Cignetti has posted a 27-2 record, made two playoff appearances, and taken home both the Big Ten Championship and the National Championship, capping off a perfect 16-0 season in 2025. Now, Cignetti is cashing in.
What Is Curt Cignetti’s Contract?
As first reported by Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star and Michael Niziolek of the Herald-Times, and confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Cignetti has finalized a new deal with the Hoosiers.
“Source confirms Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has finalized a new contact that runs through the 2033 season,” Rittenberg reports. “He’ll be paid an average of $13.2 million, making him one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. Cignetti is 27-2 at IU.”
Source confirms Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has finalized a new contact that runs through the 2033 season. He’ll be paid an average of $13.2 million, making him one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. Cignetti is 27-2 at IU. @ZachOsterman and @michaelniziolek first reported.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) February 20, 2026
Cignetti is obviously very deserving of being one of, if not the nation’s highest-paid coaches.
Osterman and Niziolek point out that it’s Cignetti’s third new contract with the Hoosiers, following his hiring before the 2024 season and a raise and extension after each of his two seasons in Bloomington.
Prior to Cignetti’s hiring, the Hoosiers went 3-9 in 2023, Tom Allen’s last year as head coach. Details of a buyout aren’t known yet, but Cignetti previously had a $15 million buyout. The contract runs through 2033.
How Much Is Cignetti Earning as Indiana HC?
Cignetti is going to make an average of $13.2 million per season. His previous deal also ran through 2033, but he was making ‘only’ $11.6 million.
He’s now in the same stratosphere as the likes of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who is currently in the midst of a 13-year, $130 million deal, and Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss to sign a seven-year, $91 million deal with LSU this offseason.
Cignetti’s deal featured a $500,000 base salary, additional marketing income, and an annual bonus of $1 million. He has a “good faith market review” clause that allows for renegotiation if Indiana reaches the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
What Is Cignetti’s Net Worth?
Cignetti’s net worth is estimated to be between $6 and $15 million, but that was prior to the perfect 2025 season and subsequent raise, so there is no doubt the number will increase dramatically. Keep in mind, the most he made prior to taking the Indiana job was $677,311 in 2023, his final year with James Madison.
Credit the Hoosiers for finding Cignetti and giving him a $4.5 million deal in 2024.
ALSO READ: Curt Cignetti Salary: How Much Does Indiana HC Earn After Contract Renewal
Cignetti’s Indiana offense was elite last season, earning a PFSN CFB Offense Impact score of 93.5, good for an A grade, the best in the country. Their defense was even better, earning a PFSN CFB Defense Impact score of 97.9 and an A+ grade, the best mark in the nation.
Simply put, Indiana was the best team in the country and maybe one of the all-time great teams.
Of course, now that Cignetti has put Indiana football into another stratosphere and has become one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport, the pressure is on to keep up that success.
The Hoosiers are highlighted by back-to-back matchups against Ohio State (October 17) and at Michigan (October 24). They will get their season underway when they host North Texas on September 5.
