Curt Cignetti contract: Details of new deal revealed
Curt Cignetti has received a new deal from Indiana after the first 10-0 start to a season in program history. The Hoosiers have been smashing records left and right, and now they’ll try to complete an improbably push to the College Football Playoff.
During a Week 12 bye, it was reported that Cignetti and the university had finalized a contract extension for the first-year head coach. Those details have now been made public via a memorandum of understanding.
According to the new deal, Cignetti will have $11 million annually for staffing. That’s a significant increase and shows a major investment from the Hoosiers into the football program with Cignetti able to retain and attract key assistant coaches.
Based on the total salary structures, Cignetti will make $7.3 million in Year 1 of the deal through 2025. The deal peaks at $8.7 million in Year 8 of the contract, and Cignetti’s buyout would be 85% of the remaining compensation if fired without cause.
The deal also includes plenty of performance-related bonuses. Cignetti can net bonuses for 5+ Big Ten wins a season as well as for a top-6 finish (or higher) in the league. A B1G Championship Game appearance would net a $500,000 bonus while winning the B1G would net $1 million.
Getting Indiana to a non-CFP bowl game would pay out $200,000 (and another $50,000 for winning the game) while reaching the Playoff would net a $500,000 bonus for a first-round appearance. There are escalators throughout the CFP for the quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship game, leading up to a $2 million bonus if the Hoosiers win the national title.
Here are the details of the full deal:
Indiana would owe Cignetti 85% of his remaining compensation if fired without cause, and that number goes to 100% if Indiana makes the CFP this season or at any point during the term.
Cignetti’s annual staff salary pool increases to $11 million.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 25, 2024