‘There’s nothing that could’ve taken me from Indiana’: Curt Cignetti never turned his head away from Indiana football despite the coaching rumor mill

The build up of stacking wins and strong fan devotion persuaded Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti to pick up the pen and sign an extension to stay with Indiana football long term.

Coach Cignetti met with the students of Indiana University on Tuesday night, hosting A Conversation with Coach Cignetti, a one hour sit down Q&A where Cignetti heavily discussed his commitment to the future of Indiana’s football program.

Cignetti, who was named the 30th head coach in Indiana football history, led Indiana to quite the season in his first year with the program. Indiana had itself a 10-0 start, which was the best start to a season in program history. In addition to the impressive record, Cignetti brought Indiana to its first College Football Playoff appearance, ranking in as a No. 10 seed.

Throughout the impressive season, rumors swirled surrounding the idea of Cignetti departing from Indiana and signing a new contract elsewhere. However, Cignetti shut down these ideas quick and early, inking an eight year extension which will keep Cignetti in his role with Indiana until November of 2032.

The contract has Cignetti making an average of $8 million per year, in addition to an annual $1 million retention bonus.

Cignetti commented on the idea of him taking a contract from another school, denying any possibility of the potential opportunity.

“There wasn’t any job in the nation worth taking once we were 10-0.”

The incredible record wasn’t the only factor influencing Cignetti to stay at Indiana – the fan support played an immense effort.

Cignetti credited the connection he felt between himself and Indiana’s fans, expressing how he particularly enjoyed the culture that was built throughout the season.

“There’s nothing that could’ve taken me from Indiana because I felt a special bond… something special that we created here.”

The special relationship between Cignetti and the students of Indiana was certainly reflected in Cignetti’s discussion, as he received a countless amount of applauses, in addition to starting chants with the students.

The brief event was significant for students as they had the opportunity to gain a stronger perception of the behind the scenes work of the football season, but more importantly, grow a little bit closer and connect with Cignetti on a personal level.

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.