Indiana’s Curt Cignetti Selected 2025 Walter Camp FBS Coach of the Year; First Coach to Repeat as Winner
Indiana University’s Curt Cignetti has been selected as the Walter Camp 2025 Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year. It is the second straight year Cignetti has won the award – becoming the first coach in 59 years to repeat as winner.
The Walter Camp Coach of the Year is selected by the nation’s 136 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports communicators.
Other finalists for the award were Ryan Day (Ohio State) and Clark Lea (Vanderbilt).
Cignetti is the second coach from Indiana (John Pont, 1967) to earn the award. Cignetti is the fifth coach to win multiple times, joining Joe Paterno (Penn State; 2005, 1994, 1972), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma, 2003 and 2000), Nick Saban (Alabama; 2018 and 2008) and Gary Patterson (TCU, 2014 and 2009).
Under Cignetti’s leadership, the top-ranked Hoosiers have recorded a 13-0 mark this season. On December 6, Indiana captured its first-ever Big Ten Championship with a 13-10 victory over Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium.
As a result, the Hoosiers earned the College Football Playoff’s top seed and await the Oklahoma/Alabama winner in the CFP quarterfinals on Jan. 1 at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Indiana started off the season as the No. 20 team in the country, but a 63-10 win over then-No. 9 Illinois, a road win at Iowa, and 30-20 road win over Oregon propelled the Hoosiers into the top five. With six straight wins after Oregon, the Hoosiers finished the season undefeated at 12-0 with the No. 2 ranking behind only Ohio State. Led by quarterback and 2025 Walter Camp Player of Year Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers earned its first league title since 1945, and first win against the Buckeyes since 1988.
For the second straight year, Cignetti was named the Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year (as selected by his fellow conference coaches) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (by the media that covers the Big Ten).
In 2024, Indiana was picked to finish 16th in the Big Ten preseason media poll and proceeded to set a then-record with 11 wins and earned its first ever College Football Playoff berth.
Cignetti was named head football coach at Indiana University on November 30, 2023. He previously held head coaching positions Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2011-16), Elon (2017-2018) and James Madison (2019-2023). His current career record stands at 143–37 (.794).
He was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 (at IUP), the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 2017 (at Elon) and Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2023 (at James Madison).
After graduating from West Virginia, Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pitt in 1983 under Foge Fazio. He has also coached at Davidson College, Rice University, Temple University, a return to Pitt and then stints at North Carolina State and the University of Alabama.
Cignetti and his wife, Manette, have three children, Curt Jr., Carly Ann, and Natalie Elise. Cignetti’s father, Frank Cignetti Sr., won 199 games as a head coach at West Virginia University and IUP and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Walter Camp Coach of Year Facts
- First awarded in 1967, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti is the 59th recipient of the Walter Camp Coach of Year award. He is also the first coach to repeat as the winner.
- Cignetti is the second IU coach to win the award, joining John Pont (1967).
- Cignetti becomes the fifth coach to win the award multiple times, joining Joe Paterno (Penn State; 2005, 1994, 1972), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma, 2003 and 2000), Nick Saban (Alabama; 2018 and 2008) and Gary Patterson (TCU, 2014 and 2009).
- Coaches from 40 different schools have earned the award. Six schools have had three winners – Alabama, Indiana, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU and TCU.
Walter Camp Coaches of the Year
2025 – Curt Cignetti, Indiana
2024 – Curt Cignetti, Indiana
2023 – Kalen DeBoer, Washington
2022 – Sonny Dykes, TCU
2021 – Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
2020 – Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
2019 – Ed Orgeron, LSU
2018 – Nick Saban, Alabama
2017 – Mark Richt, Miami
2016 – Mike MacIntyre, Colorado
2015 – Dabo Swinney, Clemson
2014 – Gary Patterson, TCU
2013 – David Cutcliffe, Duke
2012 – Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
2011 – Les Miles, LSU
2010 – Chip Kelly, Oregon
2009 – Gary Patterson, TCU
2008 – Nick Saban, Alabama
2007 – Mark Mangino, Kansas
2006 – Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2005 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
2004 – Tommy Tuberville, Auburn
2003 – Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
2002 – Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
2001 – Ralph Friedgen, Maryland
2000 – Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
1999 – Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
1998 – Bill Synder, Kansas State
1997 – Lloyd Carr, Michigan
1996 – Bruce Snyder, Arizona State
1995 – Gary Barnett, Northwestern
1994 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
1993 – Terry Bowden, Auburn
1992 – Gene Stallings, Alabama
1991 – Bobby Bowden, Florida State
1990 – Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech
1989 – Bill McCartney, Colorado
1988 – Don Nehlen, West Virginia
1987 – Dick MacPherson, Syracuse
1986 – Jimmy Johnson, Miami
1985 – Fisher DeBerry, Air Force
1984 – Joe Morrison, South Carolina
1983 – Mike White, Illinois
1982 – Jerry Stovall, Louisiana State
1981 – Jackie Sherrill, Pittsburgh
1980 – Vince Dooley, Georgia
1979 – John Mackovic, Wake Forest
1978 – Warren Powers, Missouri
1977 – Lou Holtz, Arkansas
1976 – Frank R. Burns, Rutgers
1975 – Frank Kush, Arizona State
1974 – Barry Switzer, Oklahoma
1973 – Johnny Majors, Pittsburgh
1972 – Joe Paterno, Penn State
1971 – Bob Devaney, Nebraska
1970 – Bob Blackman, Dartmouth
1969 – Bo Schembechler, Michigan
1968 – Woody Hayes, Ohio State
1967 – John Pont, Indiana
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