January 19, 2026, will forever belong to the Indiana Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti authored one of college football’s most remarkable turnaround tales, lifting Indiana to a national championship that rippled far beyond sports. It earned Cignetti applause from former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

“Congratulations to Indiana University and Coach Cignetti on winning their first College Football Playoff National Championship,” wrote President Obama on X. “One of the greatest turnarounds of all time.”

Obama has no ties to Cignetti’s milestone run, Indiana, or Indiana University, but his admiration was loud. He spent time on Indiana campaign trails in 2008 to connect, yet he’s a true sports fan, as shown by his comment on the new college football champions.

Once college football’s most forgotten and forlorn program, Cignetti pushed the ‘flip’ button for the Hoosiers, from 13 bowl trips in 130-plus years to perfection. Indiana torched the old narrative with a flawless 16-0 national title run in 2025-26. 

Cignetti and his boys punctuated the team’s rise with a heart-pounding 27-21 win over Miami in the CFP national championship game. And Obama was not the only one who once held the White House chair to congratulate Cignetti. The 42nd President, Bill Clinton, also joined in. 

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“Congratulations to @IndianaUniv on an historic season and for bringing home the National Championship Trophy to Bloomington,” wrote Clinton. “A remarkable accomplishment and a proud moment for the university, its alumni, and the entire state of Indiana!”

Much like Obama, Clinton also has no clear ties to Indiana. Yet, the game the Hoosiers showcased worked perfectly to earn all the plaudits coming their way.

Indiana swiftly defeated Alabama and Oregon in its path to the national championship, but Miami challenged them to be their best. The Hoosiers entered the fourth quarter with a 17-7 lead, only for Malachi Toney to bring back the Hurricanes with an impressive TD.

A touchdown would tie, and the extra point would give Miami the lead in the last quarter with the scores 27-21. But Carson Beck’s final pass was picked, which sealed Indiana’s victory.

Cignetti’s Heisman-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, didn’t have a headline-grabbing passing game, completing 186 yards with no scores or turnovers. But the Heisman winner delivered when it mattered most, scrambling through traffic for a pivotal fourth-down touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Cignetti, famed for his gruff sideline demeanor, rarely cracks a smile. Before the championship, an old viral tweet from his daughter resurfaced: after a 66-point win in 2019, she asked if he was happy, and he said no. This time, after adding a Natty feather, the answer was a definitive “Yes!”

The national championship win also came with a $14.6 million gift for Cignetti.

Curt Cignetti hit the $14.6 million milestone in 2025

To see how quickly Cignetti climbed the coaching salary ladder, we must look back at his James Madison days. In 2019, his first year with the Dukes, he earned just $425,000. By his final season in 2023-24, that number had jumped to $677,311.

Cignetti inked a six-year, $27 million contract with Indiana, beginning at $4 million per season. As Yahoo Sports notes, he earned $14.6 million in 2025 alone. With this historic victory, Cignetti is set to earn a $2 million bonus for steering the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season and a national championship. 

It is a performance incentive included in his October 2025 contract extension, which pays $11.6 million per year. Despite the payday, Cignetti emphasized Indiana isn’t a program driven by NIL. The Hoosiers’ 2025 class of 23 carried an average NIL value of $23,000, a fraction of the sums invested by their national championship opponent, Miami.

With Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joining the congratulations, Indiana football has stepped into a bigger spotlight. Still, Curt Cignetti promises business as usual-grit, grind, and that same unshakable intensity.