Indiana saw what was coming after Penn State fired head coach James Franklin. Nittany Lions Athletic Director Pat Kraft was about to start making calls to Bloomington, Indiana — if he already hadn’t — in regard to head coach Curt Cignetti.
Well, as of Thursday, October 16, Indiana has cut them off at the pass. Cignetti signed a brand-new eight-year contract worth $92.8 million with an average annual salary of $11.6 million, according to the team’s website.
That now gives Cignetti the fifth-largest annual salary in the country behind Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley and Dabo Swinney, per USA Today.
In Bloomington to stay. ✍️
🔗: https://t.co/y9cinJXwps pic.twitter.com/kVFx6AbeM7
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 16, 2025
“At Indiana University, we are committed to performing at the highest levels in everything we do, and no one has exemplified that more than Coach Cignetti,” said Indiana University President Pamela Whitten. “Put simply, Cig is a winner. From last year’s College Football Playoff appearance to this year’s top-3 national ranking, the IU football program’s success has been tremendous. Curt and Manette Cignetti are home in Indiana, and we are delighted that the Cignetti family will be Hoosiers for many years to come.”
The Hoosiers are coming off one of their biggest wins in program history, beating No. 3 Oregon and taking their place in the same spot — marking the highest ranking in the AP Poll in school history.
Cignetti was bound to catch the eyes of Penn State and other programs that either have or will be looking for new head coaches next season. That’s why Indiana made its largest financial commitment to any head coach in school history.
Before Cignetti, Indiana football barely knew what winning was and had never accomplished a double-digit win season in its 127-year history until last year, finishing 11-2.
Cignetti is now 17-2 since arriving in Bloomington, proving what he told reporters when he came to Indiana: “I win. Google me.”
