Uncover the Shocking Truth: Meet the Five College Football Coaches Earning Far Less Than They Deserve—Curt Cignetti Tops the List!

When Indiana found itself scrambling for a head coach in early 2023, the program took a long, hard look in the mirror—reflecting on decades of ups and downs on the gridiron—and asked a simple but bold question: why not bring in a coach who’s never faced defeat? That gamble paid off handsomely when Curt Cignetti stepped in, swiftly transforming the Hoosiers from a struggling squad into a formidable offensive juggernaut, boasting a 16-2 record in less than two seasons. Before turning Indiana’s fortunes around, Cignetti’s resume was dotted with impressive stints—53-17 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 14-9 at Elon, and 52-9 at James Madison, where he navigated the team’s leap to the Bowl Subdivision like a pro. Continuing this winning streak in Bloomington, he’s emerged as perhaps the best coaching value in college football today. In fact, USA TODAY Sports ranks him as the most underpaid coach in the game, especially when you consider Indiana’s historic rise and Cignetti’s compensation sits at $8.3 million for 2025—making him a steal amid the powerhouse coaches of the Power Four conferences. It’s clear: Indiana’s bold move is reshaping the college football landscape in ways few saw coming. LEARN MORE

Back on the market for a head coach in the winter of 2023, Indiana must’ve looked back at its checkered football past and wondered: Why don’t we hire a coach who has never lost?

That led the Hoosiers to Curt Cignetti, and the rest has been college football history. In just under a season and a half, Cignetti has gone 16-2 and turned Indiana into an offensive powerhouse.

Before reversing a century or so of failure in Bloomington, Cignetti went 53-17 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2011-16), 14-9 at Elon (2017-18) and 52-9 at James Madison (2019-23), overseeing the Dukes’ wildly successful transition to the Bowl Subdivision.

Continuing these winning ways at Indianaf has made Cignetti perhaps the best bargain in college coaching.

He leads the way in USA TODAY Sports’ list of the most underpaid coaches in college football:

Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Cignetti will earn $8.3 million in compensation in 2025, ranking him sixth among Big Ten coaches. You can easily make the argument Cignetti’s contract represents the best bang-for-your-buck deal in the Power Four given Indiana’s historic achievements in the past calendar year. After making an outrageous College Football Playoff appearance last season, the Hoosiers are 5-0 and ranked No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Cignetti has the a buyout figure of $56.7 million.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti walks along the sideline during his team's game against Old Dominion at Memorial Stadium.

The former Georgia Tech offensive lineman has the No. 12 Yellow Jackets off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2014 and ranked in both major polls for the first time in a decade. Since taking over on an interim basis late in the 2022 season, Key has posted back-to-back bowl bids and has this year’s team in the mix for the program’s first ACC championship since 2009. Key is making $4.5 million in total compensation this season, which puts him among the bottom half of the ACC coaches and tied for 52nd among all coaches surveyed.

Eric Morris, North Texas

Morris is in line for a promotion and a raise after earning $1.4 million this season for the unbeaten Mean Green. Seen as a quarterback whisperer after recruiting standouts such as Cam Ward and John Mateer, Morris has steadily turned North Texas into a Group of Five contender while building up a roster strong enough to compete in the American. The program’s development is why Morris will be high on the list for Power Four openings this offseason.

Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Elko’s $7 million in total compensation is tied for 31st overall among coaches in our survey but comes in behind 11 other SEC coaches. Relative to his conference peers, Elko has been a steal. After winning 16 games in two years at Duke and keeping Texas A&M in the mix for the SEC crown all the way down the wire of the regular season in 2024, Elko has the No. 5 Aggies at 5-0 and in the thick of the race for the playoff as one of four teams receiving a first-place vote in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.

The winningest coach in Iowa State history continues to defy the odds. After winning a school-record 11 games in 2024 and starting 5-1 this season, Campbell is 69-52 with the Cyclones and 104-67 overall as a head coach. This year’s team looks like one of the Big 12 favorites even after a loss to Cincinnati, this could be the year Campbell gets the national recognition he’s long deserved. His $5 million in total compensation this season ranks eighth in the Big 12 and is far off the pace set by Deion Sanders’ conference-leading $8.975 million in pay.