Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's salary bump of 2,729% in four years is insane

Jeff Hauser

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Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's salary bump of 2,729% in four years is insane image

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The Indiana Hoosiers have reached historic heights on the gridiron. As the third-ranked team in the nation, Curt Cignetti has flipped a once mediocre squad into a true contender. Nobody thought Indiana could upset Oregon at Autzen Stadium. But it happened and kept the Hoosiers' perfect record intact.

Cignetti was rewarded for his efforts this week. He signed an eight-year extension, which made him one of college football's highest-paid coaches at $11.6 annually. What was lost in the shuffle is how Cignetti got to this point.  

In a short four-year period, the Hoosiers coach went from his stint at James Madison with a $425,000 salary in 2022 to being No. 3 on the list of college football coaching elites. That's an increase of 2,729 percent over the past 48 months. A well-deserved increase for Cignetti who fought his way from winning a national championship as an assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama to running the show in Bloomington. 

In just two seasons at the helm, Indiana has gone 17-2, including an 11-1 mark against Big Ten opponents. Cignetti was named National and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2024 after leading Indiana to its first College Football Playoff berth and an 11-1 regular season.

Before what's expected to be a busy offseason for college football coaching hires, it's clear Indiana is taking proactive steps to keep Cignetti with the program. If another school were to pull him away from IU, a $15 million buyout would be required. On the other end, if Indiana got rid of Cignetti without cause, he'll receive $93 million. 

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