Curt Cignetti, the “Google me” guy, made you turn your head a season back with a historic 11-2 mark. Now, he’s taking the 2025 conversations to the storm. After a devastating 3-9 season, Tom Allen‘s tenure came to an end. The program’s 30th coach came off as the biggest blessing Scott Dolson could think of. Cignetti’s arrival at Indiana led to the unprecedented transformation of the dormant program. A Football Bowl Subdivision with the most losses, with 713 (back then), has become the front-page headline of the CFB news reports. But the lingering fantasy over the past alone won’t be beneficial for Cignetti in his second year.
Cignetti was aware of the fact that Indiana wants him for the long haul. Curt Cignetti’s contract with Indiana is a massive eight-year deal, with an average annual compensation of $8 million, as well as an additional annual $1 million retention bonus. His new contract runs through November 30, 2032. Maybe that has contributed a lot to Indiana’s success. They pour the sugar, they taste the sweetness.
“Maybe the biggest culture change at a program in the history of the sport. IU is a case study for putting your money where your mouth is. They invested heavily in NIL and support. Cig [Curt Cignetti] is a fantastic coach, obviously, but he wouldn’t come without that commitment,” an anonymous coach broke it down to Athlon Sports. “That’s how they succeeded immediately.”
In total, Indiana swooped 20 players out of the transfer portal, including two sixth-year seniors who moved on from Indiana after the 2023 season: safety Louis Moore and offensive lineman Kahlil Benson. So, there is no way to ignore the revolution they brought under Cignetti’s guidance. It’s the coach, it’s the portal as well.
“I think they’ve improved the O-line enough to stay in games against top-level, physical defenses. They’re leaning on the portal again in the secondary. Because they’re still a way off on true, top-end depth for this league,” the coach chimed in. In 2025, they have a chunk of returning superstars and a series of transfers. Cal’s Fernando Mendoza under the center, receiver Elijah Sarratt to catch the throw. In addition to that, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, and Bryant Haines’ fiery defense are really raising the bar for Cignetti.
But how does that bar look in reality? “Everyone is asking who the next Indiana is, but there’s no real reason why it isn’t Indiana again. Will they win as many games? Probably not, but they’re going to be in the hunt for a playoff spot again,” the coach took a blunt call again. But despite the frowns, Cignetti has firm faith in his favorite gun in the QB room.
Cam Fernando Mendoza be Curt Cignetti’s savior?
Curt Cignetti sees a bright future for his new QB, replacing Kurtis Rourke, who is now a San Francisco 49er. Fernando Mendoza is also gearing up to deliver up to the lofty expectation of his coach — “He’s a very enticing coach. He’s very confident. He knows what it takes to win, and he sets a very high standard. He said that if I were to come to Indiana, I would develop as a quarterback. I get great coaching, and I’d be able to be the best Fernando Mendoza that I could be, and so that’s something that was extremely attractive to me.”
He can very well be that. He just needs to be careful about the team’s overlooked drawbacks in an overwhelming season. As Cignetti reflected that Indiana wasn’t a good finisher against the big boy teams. The finishing regrets crept in right from the 27-17 loss at Notre Dame in the first on-campus College Football Playoff game in history.
Indiana stood at 27-3 in the fourth quarter, and Cignetti mentioned the main culprit: not picking up the offensive momentum earlier in the game. That could be a lesson for Mendoza, but how well he can dodge that later in the season will define the fate of Cignetti.
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