Another W for the undefeated champs! On Saturday, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated Michigan State 47-10, extending their winning streak for the season. However, a 46-yard field goal from Jonathan Kim put Michigan State first on the board in the first quarter, and MSU had a 3-0 advantage. But Indiana staged a comeback in the second quarter and ultimately secured the victory. Now, it’s time for Indiana and its head coach Curt Cignetti to celebrate. Well, the HC also has one more reason to rejoice. Yes, ONE MORE!

The Hoosiers are currently off to their finest start in program history (9-0). As a result, Cignetti received several bonuses from his six-year contract with Indiana, and that’s the reason for the celebration. However, the team has three regular-season games left, followed by a bowl game or a potential berth in the CFB Playoffs, which could lead to more possibilities. Which means many more celebrations are on the horizon! Ahead of that, a USA Today reporter offered some good news. “Indiana coach Curt Cignetti picks up $50,000 bonus as Hoosiers get 6th Big Ten win of the season by beating Michigan State. Hoosiers are 9-0, and Cignetti now has $350,000 in bonuses so far, plus automatic 1-year contract extension and $250,000 raise beginning next season,” said USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz.

You might be curious to know about Cignetti’s deal with Indiana. Well, Cignetti consented to a six-year deal with a basic salary of fifty thousand dollars per year, beginning on December 1, 2023, and ending on November 30, 2029. Besides this, His yearly revenue from marketing, promotions, and other sources will total $3.5 M in Year 1. By Year 6, that amount will have grown by $100,000 annually. Can’t figure it out? Yes, it’s enormous. But why not? In CFB, a 9-0 record is uncommon, particularly in the first season.

Additionally, the deal also includes an incentive component. A $250,000 yearly retention incentive is part of the deal; the first payment is due on November 30. And every year on November 30, he will receive the same sum for his work at Indiana. If this is the rate of progress, then this is something he surely deserves.

See the Hoosiers’ improvement under Curt Cignetti

From the moment Cignetti took over as head coach, the numbers have been speaking for him. To truly appreciate Indiana’s current success, we need to look back at its recent struggles. Before Cignetti took over, the team had a dismal 9-27 record over three seasons, including a 3-9 in 2023. And compared to that, this year’s turnaround is remarkable, especially considering it’s the program’s best season since 1967, under a new HC.

Cignetti now fills the 57-year void! So it makes sense that he would be flaunting Indiana as well as his own glow-up. He even proudly says, “I win, Google me.” But where does he find that confidence in his coaching technique, though? The first thing that comes to mind is, who is his mentor? And it’s none other than the GOAT Nick Saban, the seven-time National Championship champion. During his tenure as Alabama’s receivers coach and recruitment assistant from 2007 to 2010, Curt Cignetti collaborated with Saban. Well, if you’ve got a mentor like that, you’d sure want to learn the best from them!