It pays to be the best in the business. Even in the immediate aftermath of the Indiana Hoosiers rolling out the red carpet for Curt Cignetti, Kirby Smart is still the most well-compensated head coach in college football. Cignetti now makes roughly $11.6 million annually to lead IU. This has him third in the country behind Kirby Smart ($13.282 million) and Ryan Day ($12.575 million). He is in great company.
While there is some concern that Indiana may pose as a real threat to Smart and Georgia down the line, Cignetti is 64 years old. Smart is not yet 50. Truth be told, Cignetti has arguably replaced Dabo Swinney as the third-best head coach in college football behind only Smart and Day. Cignetti has yet to win a national title in the College Football Playoff, but even having Indiana a part of it is a huge deal.
In all honesty, all Smart can really do upon seeing this big number Cignetti has landed is to think another big pay day is coming for him soon. Smart has already won two national titles at his alma mater, including Georgia's first in 41 years back in 2021. He has led the Dawgs to the playoff four times. Outside of his first year leading the team, Georgia has played in a New Year's Six bowl annually.
A rising tide lifts all boats, but Smart is already captaining college football's most impressive yacht.
Kirby Smart should look at Curt Cignetti's pay raise as another for him
All jobs are created differently. Winning big at Indiana and winning big at Georgia are two totally different paradigms. The goal for most of our lives for Indiana was to get to a bowl game. For Georgia, it had been up until recently halfway convincing ourselves that winning a national title was possible most seasons. Georgia has won two in the last five years. Indiana is coming off a playoff appearance.
Look. We all know why Indiana paid Cignetti when it did. This was to make it even harder for Penn State to conceivably poach him. That might have been the one job he would willingly leave Bloomington for. Then again, he is doing things at IU that Penn State has claimed it could do for the better part of 40 years. In a way, Indiana is the better job because the university really believes in him.
As for how Smart can spin this thing in his favor, he can win 10 or more games every season, lead Georgia to the playoff annually, and win another national title or two before retiring as an all-timer at his profession. Since Georgia's standard of excellence is higher than Indiana's, Smart can use this to his advantage. Cignetti was deserving of top dollar, but Smart must remain the highest-paid coach.
Expect for Smart and Day's representation to use this the next time they are negotiating contracts.