Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti was (wishfully for those fanbases) linked to several college coaching jobs late this season before signing a lucrative contract extension.
Now there are suggestions that he could be a good fit for at least one of the many available NFL jobs.
ESPN’s Marcus Spears quickly thought of Cignetti after Mike Tomlin announced he was stepping down as Pittsburgh Steelers coach.
“I think that his personality would fit with Pittsburgh,” Spears said on “NFL Live.” “I’m not sure how all of that business part goes, but I watched this dude do with a university that was not even thought of, of ever potentially ever winning a national championship in this landscape of college football, and the rapport that he has as a head coach with his team, would make him a very enticing hire, especially with a team that loves stability.”
Tomlin left the Steelers on Tuesday after 19 seasons. Before that, Bill Cowher coached them for 15 seasons, and Chuck Noll for 23. That means they have had three coaches over 57 years.
Cignetti, 64, was born in Pittsburgh, played at West Virginia, was an assistant at Pitt, and got his first head coaching job at Division II Indiana of Pennsylvania.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) are preparing for the College Football Playoff national championship game against Miami on Monday, Jan. 19. IU is 26-2 in two years under Cignetti.
“Cignetti out of Indiana. I think his personality would fit with Pittsburgh.”@mspears96 is throwing the Indiana head coach’s name in the hat š©š„ pic.twitter.com/SRwS28v3tl
ā NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 13, 2026
Speculation on where Cignetti may land has persisted. First it was Penn State, then he signed his new deal, and even thereafter he showed up on Michigan coaching hot boards. But it seems unlikely he’d leave based on his comments.
“We love it here, this is where she (his wife) wanted to be, I love the people I report to, Pam (Whitten) and Scott (Dolson), I really like the campus and Bloomington where we live,” Cingetti toldĀ NBC in November. “My kids love flying in for the games and the people have been so great. I feel like it’s ours, something we have created. I couldn’t, I played the scenarios through my head last year and this year, cause when you win you see your name getting thrown around. I just couldn’t imagine leaving for anywhere. There’s nowhere I could have gone.”
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti salary
Cignetti’s total pay in Year 1 of his contract pays him $11.2 million and increases to $12.1 million by 2032-33.
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti contract buyout
IU’s obligation to move on from Cignetti without cause would be 100% of the deal.
But Cignetti would owe $15 million in liquidated damages if he were to leave for employment elsewhere. The number decreases until the end of his deal, but it does not go below $9 million until 2029.
Indiana football makes commitment to Curt Cignetti staff salary pool
IU has proven it will commit funds for staff continuity, an underappreciated part of the Hoosiers’ success under Cignetti. The Hoosiers pledged to continue that commitment to best retain staff.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pittsburgh Steelers coach rumors: Curt Cignetti a good fit, ESPN analyst says
