Curt Cignetti has quickly made a name for himself as one of the top coaches in college football. He led Indiana to heights the program had never seen, and also earned recognition by signing a new contract with the Hoosiers on Friday.
Nick Saban’s Influence Evident as Curt Cignetti Joins Elite Group of Coaches with Blockbuster Deal
According to Cignetti’s new deal with Indiana, his average annual salary will be $13.2 million through 2033. He now joins Georgia’s Kirby Smart and LSU’s Lane Kiffin as the only college coaches with an average annual salary of at least $13 million. Cignetti’s previous contract was also through 2033, but it paid $11.6 million per season.
On his “Adapt & Respond” podcast, analyst RJ Young weighed in on the topic with a mention of Nick Saban.
“There is a clause in Cignetti’s contract that demands that there’s a market review that pays him in line with what he has done at Indiana,” Young said. “The review takes into account how much money is publicly known to be made and will pay Cignetti proportionally. This was really designed to ensure that he remains one of the top compensated coaches in the sport. The guy that pioneered this kind of deal is actually Nick Saban.”
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“Nick Saban, for whom we get a lot of our contract templates from, as it relates to head coaches,” he continued. “First, it was Steve Spurrier (who) became a million-dollar coach in 1996. And then LSU did what only LSU does: they blew the market apart to go get Nick Saban from Michigan State.
“And in so doing, there were parts of his contract put together that allowed for him to be paid in accordance with what he accomplishes at Alabama. And if he was the best coach in college football, they paid him like the best coach in college football.”
The deal represents Cignetti’s third contract adjustment in just over two years. This is not unusual, as Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson has always aimed to properly fund football, knowing the program could compete at a high level. That success is evident: Indiana achieved a national title last season, two College Football Playoff appearances, and 27 wins over the past two seasons.
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Cignetti was allowed to renegotiate his contract within 120 days after Indiana reached the CFP semifinals. The extension also includes a season-long performance bonus structure, including $150,000 for the sixth Big Ten win and $1 million for winning the Big Ten title.
Meanwhile, Cignetti’s salary progression at Indiana has been remarkable. After earning $425,000 as JMU’s head coach in 2022, he made $677,000 in 2023, jumped to $4.5 million at Indiana in 2024, $11.6 million in 2025, and now $13.2 million in 2026. Cignetti has already expressed his intention to retire at Indiana, and the Hoosiers appear poised for a golden era.
According to PFSN, Indiana holds a 7.3% chance of reaching the National Championship in 2026.
