Curt Cignetti Named Big Ten Coach of the Year

Curt Cignetti has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for his impressive turnaround of the Indiana football program, leading the team to an 11-1 record and a possible College Football Playoff berth in his first season. This marks the first time an Indiana coach has received this honor since Tom Allen in 2020, making Cignetti just the third IU coach to win the award alongside Allen and Bill Mallory. Cignetti's leadership resulted in an eight-game improvement from the previous season, the second-best by a first-year coach since 1996. Key players contributing to this success include defensive end Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher, and cornerback D'Angelo Pounds, all of whom received first-team All-Big Ten honors. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who had a standout season, earned second-team honors but did not win individual awards. Cignetti's success has also been recognized with an eight-year contract, which includes a $50,000 bonus for this accolade.