Curt Cignetti just walked in his mentor Nick Saban’s footsteps. After leading Indiana to its first-ever playoff win, with a perfect 16-0 season, Cignetti proved his words, “Google me; I win.” However, now those wins are turning into prestigious honors, just like the one Saban received in 2016.

At the prestigious Maxwell Award Gala, a massive yearly event, Cignetti was honored alongside his quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. Cignetti accepted the George Munger Award as the nation’s top coach, and the Maxwell Award went to the Heisman winner. He was formally presented with the award on March 14, at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Cignetti won the same award, which Nick Saban received a decade ago after leading Alabama to a 13-0 regular season.

Winning the George Munger Award beautifully bridges Cignetti’s and Saban’s legacies. While Saban earned the honor in 2016, his Crimson Tide suffocated opponents during a flawless regular season. Cignetti mirrored that exact relentless execution in 2025, dominating the Big Ten rivals.

Curt Cignetti’s foundation traces back to 2007, when he joined Nick Saban’s inaugural staff at Alabama as recruiting coordinator and receivers coach. By absorbing Nick Saban’s knowledge, his meticulous, no-nonsense process during those formative years, Cignetti acquired the exact championship blueprint needed to orchestrate Indiana’s historic and undefeated turnaround.

Indiana went from a lost team to a championship-winning team, and that shows the kind of dominance Cignetti has as a coach. He made history by recording a 10-0 record in two straight seasons at different schools, first with James Madison in 2023, then with Indiana in 2024.

Cignetti is also the first FBS coach to win consecutive National Coach of the Year awards from major organizations like the AP, AFCA, and Walter Camp Foundation. Following the championship, his salary was increased to $13.2 million annually through 2033, making him one of the top three highest-paid coaches in college football alongside Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin.

His 2025 16-0 record tied the best record ever in college football history, set by Yale in 1894. They took down tough opponents, too, like No. 1-ranked Ohio State and other teams like Alabama and Miami in the finals. Coach of the Year honors are not just about winning with the team but also about bringing a possible change, and Cignetti did it. But the George Munger Award wasn’t the only honor Cignetti received this offseason.

Curt Cignetti’s new milestone

Curt Cignetti became No. 1 in the 2026 head coach rankings by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, who praised Cignetti’s historic success rate at Indiana in his analysis.

“He transformed the losingest program in college football history into an 11-2 playoff team in Year 1 and a 16-0 national champion in Year 2, and his team beat a bunch of blue bloods along the way,” Feldman said. “It’s a stretch to think any other coach could’ve done what the 64-year-old Cignetti has done.”

Before Curt Cignetti became the head coach, Indiana had won only three Big Ten games in three years. Since he took over, the team has lost just one conference game in two seasons. His success quickly raised his ranking from No. 19 last year to No. 1 in 2026, passing Georgia’s Kirby Smart at No. 2, while Ohio State’s Ryan Day is No. 3. Now, with all the successful teams stepping up for another championship run, their schedule comes across Cignetti as well.

Indiana will start at home against North Texas, and then play Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, USC, Washington, and Purdue, with a bye in Week 10. Thereafter, the Hoosiers will be in a brutal mid-season stretch featuring a championship rematch against Ohio State and even a road trip to Michigan.

Indiana avoids tough nonconference teams, which may help early but could hurt later. But with all praise and honor after the championship season, it remains to be seen if Curt Cignetti can keep the momentum going.

Even when it comes to recruitment, the 2026 class is widely regarded as one of the strongest in program history. Indiana has secured commitments from three of the top 10 in-state recruits, including cornerback Kasmir Hicks, tight end Parker Elmore, and linebacker Trevor Gibbs. Demonstrating a “win-now” mentality, 19 of the 22 signed players enrolled in January 2026 to participate in spring practices.

The 2027 cycle is also showing promise, with the Hoosiers being in the “Top Six” for several elite prospects, including 4-star safety Kaleb Elkins and 3-star running back Da’Jon Talley-Rhodes. They are also heavily pursuing 5-star in-state receiver Monshun Sales, who lists the Hoosiers alongside traditional powers like Alabama and Oregon.