They say actions speak louder than words; who understands this better than Curt Cignetti? 10-0! The entire country is speaking about the Indiana head coach and his new team. Who’d have thought that Cignetti would make the Hoosiers have historic numbers in his first season? Well, you ask him, and he’d say, ‘I did’. To add to the good vibes at the program, the head coach received an extension till 2032. Eight more years, and it’s going to be a hell of a ride. However, all this wasn’t possible without strong family support. On November 20, Curt appeared on The Triple Option podcast and discussed what made him take his big decision and help improve Indiana’s football.

“We played the what-if game. My wife and I, about three or four weeks ago, and my agent and I. Everything always led back to Indiana, and you know, so I’m appreciative that the administration was proactive like they were. You know, we’re still in season, and it was for me; it was a no-brainer.”

Manette has been his biggest support throughout his career. The couple loves Bloomington, and why not? The city has shown immense love to the new head coach. Curt has a beautiful family. We are sure his children, Curtis John, Carly Ann, and Natalie Elise, are equally proud of him. Manette Lawer’s sacrifices have played an important role in his life, and we often see him thanking his wife for that.

Dwelling on the what-if part, Curt Cignetti said they discussed the possible avenues that may open, but eventually, every road led them back to the Hoosiers. “You know the bottom line is this is my thing here. I own this, and up to this point, we’ve had a great amount of success in an 11-12 month period. My name’s on it. So, I like it here, and I like people, I like who I work for.”

Manette is not the only one he acknowledged. He appreciated President Pamela Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson for trusting in him and added, “Well, we have great leadership here, President Pamela Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson, and they were very proactive and really hit all the things on the checklist upfront before I ever had to even bring them up talking about stadium expansion renovation, staff, assistant coaches and support staff additional support.”

When Curt Cignetti joined Indiana, he was given a six-year, $27 million contract. But now the new contract is for $72M. Which means he is set to make an additional $45 million. Currently, Indiana is at No. 5. No doubt Curt’s guidance has made their path easier for playoffs. Moving forward, let’s get to know his wife a bit more.

Curt Cignetti’s tribute to his wife

Manette Lawer is Curt’s biggest strength. Coincidentally, she also hails from Indiana, albeit a different one. Before joining the Hoosiers, he was at Pitt working to improve his coaching career. Who thought his destiny was about to change? He worked as a quarterback and wide receiver coach at Davidson, then joined Rice as quarterback coach. During that time, he met the love of his life, who is from Indiana, Pennsylvania.

During one of his interviews, he shared his journey and mentioned, “We were pretty fortunate in that after I got married in 1989, we didn’t move all that much, at least compared to a lot of others. I was at Temple when we got married. We moved in ’92 to Pitt, but that was almost like going home because my wife was from Indiana.”

He then added, “I want to thank my wife, Manette, for allowing me to do what I love to do. Without her, this wouldn’t be possible. We’re a team.” What a lovely couple! We can’t wait to watch them celebrate more success together.