Curt Cignetti Announces Update After Miami Game

"If I were smart, I'd retire," Cignetti said. "But we need the money."

Cignetti signed a contract extension this season after rumors circulated that teams like the Penn State Nittany Lions were interested in hiring him. His annual salary for the 2025-26 season is $11.6 million. At the time of his extension, this made him the third-highest paid coach in college football, behind Ryan Day of Ohio State and Kirby Smart of Georgia. However, he has since been surpassed by LSU's Lane Kiffin.

Cignetti’s comments came moments after Indiana completed one of the most remarkable transformations college football has ever seen. The Hoosiers entered the 2024 season without a single double-digit win season in program history, yet under Cignetti, they surged to an 11-2 record and their first College Football Playoff appearance before following it up with a flawless 16-0 national championship run in 2025.

The immediate ripple effects are significant. Indiana is no longer viewed as a rebuilding project but as a legitimate power with staying power. National analysts and opposing programs now expect Indiana to remain a fixture in the playoff conversation, while Cignetti’s value on the coaching market has skyrocketed. His ability to rapidly reshape a historically struggling program has already placed him among the most respected coaches in the sport.

For now, Cignetti appears focused on capitalizing on momentum rather than stepping away. With a championship roster to manage, recruiting expectations rising, and Indiana positioned as a defending national champion, the Hoosiers’ next chapter under Cignetti may be just getting started.