Just six games into his Indiana tenure, Curt Cignetti has already matched or exceeded the best full season win totals of 23 of the 29 Indiana head coaches who preceded him.
In November, Cignetti signed a six-year deal worth an initial average of $4.5 million per year, and win number six triggered an extension and significant bonuses in his contract.
Indiana is now bowl eligible, and that brings Cignetti a one-year extension, a $250,000 pay increase, and a $500,000 increase to the budget for football staff personnel — meaning for assistants and support staff, to be distributed at Cignetti’s discretion.
This could be just the beginning for Cignetti. His contract with IU contains the following bonus provisions, all of which appear to be in play at the moment.
- $100,000 for winning five Big Ten games in a season, or $150,000 for six Big Ten wins.
- $250,000 for a top-six finish (out of the 18-team conference beginning next fall), $500,000 for a second-place finish, or $1 million for a Big Ten championship.
- $200,000 for a bowl appearance that isn’t part of the College Football Playoff, with an extra $50,000 if IU wins that bowl game.
- $500,000 for a College Football Playoff first-round appearance, $600,000 for reaching the quarterfinals, $700,000 for reaching the semifinals, $1 million for reaching the national title game, and $2 million for winning a national championship.
- $50,000 for winning Big Ten Coach of the Year, whether through the coaches vote or the media vote.
- $100,000 for winning any of the major National Coach of the Year honors (AP, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Maxwell Football Club, or ABC/ESPN).
The Daily Hoosier obtained Cignetti’s contract in December through a public record request.
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