Curt Cignetti’s national title-winning staff is getting paid. What we know.
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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana athletics has finalized fresh deals for the football team’s on-field staff.
The athletic department signed both of IU’s coordinators to lucrative new deals in December, but waited until after the season to lock up the rest of Curt Cignetti’s staff.
According to memorandums of understanding (MOU) obtained by The Herald-Times, Indiana’s assistant salary pool for 2026 will be $10.4 million with all seven returning on-field coaches getting pay raises.
Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad remained the highest paid member of the staff behind both coordinators with an annual salary of $1.15 million. He received a $250,000 pay increase from his previous deal.
Rod Ojong, IU’s cornerbacks coach, also received a $250,000 raise for 2026. He will make $800,000 in the first year of his deal and $850,000 in year two. Three other assistants — defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz, tight ends and special teams coordinator Grant Cain and running backs coach John Miller — also received six-figure raises.
This is the second straight year that Cignetti’s entire staff received new contracts.
The football team’s salary pool for the on-field assistants at the start of his tenure was $5.9 million and $4.6 million in 2023. In Tom Allen’s final season, the Hoosiers had five assistants making less than $500,000.
In 2026, they will have none.
The two-year deals all run through Jan. 15, 2028 and contain identical bonus structures.
Indiana’s assistants can earn a performance bonus that starts at 10% of their base pay for reaching a bowl game. The incentive tops out at 50% of their base pay if the team wins a national title.
They also have similar buyout protection language and are fully guaranteed if the assistant is let go without cause, subject to mitigation.
Indiana football’s coaching salaries (raise)
- Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines $3 million ($1 million)
- Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan $1.7 million ($550,000)
- Offensive line coach Bob Bostad $1.15 million ($250,000)
- Cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong $800,000 ($250,000)
- Defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz $725,000 ($100,000)
- Special teams coach Graint Cain $700,000 ($125,000)
- Quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri $650,000 (N/A)
- Defensive ends coach Buddha Williams $600,000 ($50,000)
- Safeties coach Ola Adams $575,000 ($25,000)
- Running backs coach John Miller $525,000 ($100,000)
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football’s returning assistants get new deals, pay raises for 2026 season
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