Comparing Dan Lanning's Salary to National Championship Coaches

Fueled by a dominant offensive showing, Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti led his team to the program's first College Football Playoff National Championship, edging the Miami Hurricanes 27-21, shortly after decisively defeating the Oregon Ducks in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

One of the biggest storylines of the College Football Playoff Final Four was the surprising nature of the teams involved. Only two of the four had previously won a national championship - Ole Miss in 1962 and Miami in 2001 - while the other two, Indiana and Oregon, had never claimed the title.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti shakes hands with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the modern era of college football, the coaching carousel and rising salaries are bringing formerly overlooked programs into the national conversation, as this season's Final Four demonstrated. The contrast is especially clear when comparing the salaries of Curt Cignetti, Miami coach Mario Cristobal, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning.

Curt Cignetti's Contract

Only being with the Hoosiers for two seasons, Yahoo Sports reported that Cignetti received an eight-year contract extension after the conclusion of Indiana's first ever 11 win season in 2025. That extension included doubling his salary to $8 million annually with a commitment to Indiana's facility upgrades and fellow coach compensation.

In Oct. of the 2025 season (five days after defeating Oregon for the first time at Autzen Stadium), Cignetti and the Hoosiers signed another eight year extension totaling $93 million over that period.

With the national championship win, Cignetti earns $14.675 million this season including a $2 million championship winning bonus according to Michael Ginnitti, the co-founder of contract breakdown website Spotrac.

Cignetti's contract also includes a mandated negotiation after this historic championship win, likely putting the coach even higher in the upper echelon of salaries entering the 2026-2027 season.

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal shake hands after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mario Cristobal's Contract Payouts

Funny enough, though the details are quite hard to come by, it appears Cristobal's payout with the Hurricanes might be less than his national championship adversary. The Hurricanes leader, according to USA Today Sports, takes in $8.3 million annually on a 10-year contract.

At the time the former Oregon coach departed, Cristobal's contract was a major statement of investing in the future of Miami's program from the university. According to ESPN, Cristobal signed a renewal contract in December 2020 for an annual salary of $4.3 million with Oregon.

Though there's no information on performance incentives and raises, Cristobal and his staff will likely receive bonuses for reaching the national championship.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Curt Cignetti Beats Dan Lanning in Earnings

When comparing both Cignetti and Cristobal's salaries to Oregon's Dan Lanning, it appears the Hoosiers and Ducks coaches could be neck and neck in earnings, but winning the championship does sail Cignetti over Lanning.

In March of 2025, ESPN confirmed that Lanning signed a six year extension with the Ducks that will raise his salary "close to $11 million annually". According to the Oregonian, Lanning received yet another one-year extension after the Ducks took down the then ranked No. 15 USC Trojans at Autzen Stadium. That deal surmounted to $10.6 million in annual compensation with $1 million of deferred compensation.

Though bonuses in Lanning's contract were clear for making it to the Big Ten Championship game ($100,00) and winning the conference title ($150,000), extra payouts for playoff performance weren't specified, but are confirmed.

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2026. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Though Oregon's financial backing is well known across the nation, seeing a significant investment in the younger coach compared to the salaries of two leaders in the national championship should bring a sense of security to Duck fans.

Though victory is motivation enough, seeing the shuffle of yearly earnings and bonuses for championship coaches should add a bit of extra incentive for Lanning to bring the Ducks their first title.

Sure, financial investment alone does not determine the outcome of games. However, in the constantly evolving modern era of college football, seeing a team like Oregon plan for the long term with Lanning and consistently check up on deals to keep the Ducks in the playoff fight year after year brings momentum to a team that has yet to crack the championship ceiling.