“Google me, I win” felt like a bravado once. Now, it reads like a prophecy. Curt Cignetti backed it up with Indiana’s stunning 27-21 national championship win over Miami, giving the Hoosiers their first-ever title win. Nevertheless, that success has now put Kirby Smart’s position at risk.

After the national title win, Curt Cignetti positioned himself to be the highest-paid coach in college football with a projected $14 million pay next season. In just two seasons, he developed a Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, and led the program to a 16-0 season with two playoff appearances, elevating the program.

So, the raise makes sense, but it might knock Kirby Smart out of the No. 1 spot in the highest-paid coach ranking.

Kirby Smart currently holds a 10-year contract with Georgia worth $130 million, which made him college football’s first-ever $13 million head coach on an annual pay scale. His deal runs through the 2033 season. A $14 million contract will push Cignetti right to the top of the charts.

This is going to be a massive boost for Cignetti, as before Indiana, he had earned roughly $3.5 million across his 41-year coaching career. He is giving coaches like Kirby Smart a run for their money. Indiana just signed an eight-year contract with him in October that pays him $11.5 million in the first year and averages nearly $11.6 million through November 30, 2033.

This is a $93 million deal with a $15 million buyout clause. His contract includes a clause that if Indiana reaches the semifinals, they must raise his pay to make him one of the top three coaches, or his buyout drops to zero. This gives him leverage to consider moving if the right offer isn’t made.

For now, Cignetti is behind four other coaches: Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin (after LSU gave him a $13 million salary to leave Ole Miss), and Ryan Day, who holds a $12.6 million contract. That clause forces Indiana to revise the figures.

As per the clause, both parties will have 120 days after the finals to conclude, and if Indiana fails to meet Cignetti’s demands, the team could bid goodbye to Cignetti.

As Cignetti reached his crowning moment, Kirby Smart already faces scrutiny after missing the playoffs since 2023, after their title win. They did get the berth but lost to Notre Dame last season and to Ole Miss this year in the semifinals. Cignetti’s rise is bringing him more chaos.

However, can we blame him for the dip in the NIL and transfer portal era? Teams that were lost in college football are gaining momentum.

Indiana never won more than 9 games in a season before 2024, but now they are title winners, thanks to Cignetti’s remarkable use of the portal. Two G5 teams, Tulane and James Madison, made it into the playoffs this year, showing how things have changed in 2026.

Even with the scare, analysts are backing Smart’s dominance.

Paul Finebaum pins his hopes on Kirby Smart

The Indiana surge feels personal to every coach and player who wanted their program to win at least one title, and Curt Cignetti made it possible. But it’s a massive hit to the SEC, as this is the third time they have failed to reach the national championship. After Ole Miss’s loss to Miami, SEC dominance ended in the semifinals.

With competition increasing and other teams bringing in talented athletes, the SEC is losing its grip on the game. Despite that dip, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum thinks the conference still has the best coach who can break that curse in the 2026 season.

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With Nick Saban’s retirement, Finebaum declared Kirby Smart the best SEC coach heading to 2026 on the Matt Barrie Show. Smart is the longest-tenured SEC coach after Kentucky parted with Mark Stoops. Over 10 seasons, he wonderfully guided Georgia to an impressive 117-21 record, securing six SEC East titles and making eight SEC championship appearances.

On top of that, he remains the only current SEC coach with a national title. Now, it will be interesting to see if Finebaum’s confidence in Smart turns out to be right or not in the coming season.