“Cig is a winner,” IU president Pamela Whitten beamed brightly. This sentiment is all the rage right now at the Indiana Hoosiers, and the college football world is taking note. With the Hoosiers’ 6-0 winning streak into the 2025 season and the delicious win over Oregon, the head coach is soaring in popularity. On Thursday, IU celebrated his efforts and renewed his contract with the program.

Curt Cignetti has agreed to a new eight-year agreement with the Hoosiers, running till November 2033, with an average annual compensation of approximately $11.6 million. Now, he has just two more rivals ahead to become the highest-paid head coach in college football.

Georgia’s Kirby Smart has a 13.2 million contract with the Bulldogs, renewed last year in May. It is a 10-year extension, with him raking in a whopping $130 million. Then comes Ryan Day. Coming off a fresh Big Ten championship, the Buckeyes renewed his contract with a seven-year extension; An $87.5 million deal in totality till 2031.

This development comes in the wake of Cignetti’s appearing as one of the top potential candidates for Penn State’s head coaching gig. He appeared as more than perfect for the Nittany Lions’ woes. But IU was quick to lock him in, shutting down all the speculations. The head coach himself has been beaming with joy. “I couldn’t be more proud to be a Hoosier,” he said in a video posted by IU. “And I plan on retiring as a Hoosier.”

For Indiana, the past year and a half has been amazing. Before Cignetti came to Indiana, the program was a mess. In the 2023 season, they ranked at the bottom of the Big Ten, with a 3-9 overall record. In his first year, Cignetti led the program to 10+ wins and a college football playoff berth. “The way that this state has embraced us and our success in football has meant more to me than anything else,” he added.

Last season, he won the Big Ten Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year honors. And this year is nothing short of impressive. Six back-to-back wins, defeating the No. 3 defending Big Ten champion, and crushing No. 9 Illinois to a 63-10 defeat, Cignetti is rewriting the narrative, taking the program to No. 3 in national rankings. “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,” added Whitten.

Not just from his fanbase and program officials, the head coach is raking in compliments from rival programs. Nebraska’s Matt Rhule praised Cignetti’s roster. “That’s a great football team with an excellent quarterback.”

One thing is for sure: Indiana has its priorities straight and is ready to heavily invest in its head coach. And that dedication shines evidently in President Whitten’s statement.

IU President shares an emotional message for Curt Cignetti’s family

For Curt Cignetti, family and football are his two priorities; that’s his whole life. And the program is keen on making sure that he and his family remain comfortable at Bloomington. “Curt and Manette Cignetti are home in Indiana, and we are delighted that the Cignetti family will be Hoosiers for many years to come.” President Pamela Whitten added.

Athletic Director Scott Dolson enriched her point by saying, “So having his family in a place that they’re comfortable. If you set aside just the normal football support, but being in an environment that they enjoy, and it’s super important, and I feel really good about that.”

To understand the magnitude of Cignetti’s impact on the program, you need to go down the 127-year history at Bloomington to see that they had never registered a 10+ win season until last year. Cignetti was able to achieve such a feat, which hadn’t been done in more than a century.

His next aim? “I just wanted to get on camera and let you know that Curt Cignetti is gonna work daily to make Indiana the best it can be,” the HC said in a video statement.