ATLANTA (Jan. 8, 2026) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. announced that Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has been named the winner of the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank.
 
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. Winners of the award from the previous two years and first-year coaches at an institution are ineligible.
 
Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to a perfect 14-0 record so far this season, and a berth in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Hoosiers are also the top seed in the College Football Playoff and have the highest ranking in program history as the No. 1 ranked team in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls.
 
Indiana enters the College Football Playoff Semifinals as one of the most balanced teams in the country, leading the nation in passing efficiency offense, first down defense and third down conversion percentage. The Hoosiers also rank among the top teams nationally in several other categories, including: second in turnover margin, scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense, third in scoring offense and seventh in total offense, among others.
 
Now in his second season in Bloomington, Cignetti currently owns a 25-2 record leading the Hoosiers, which represents the second-best winning percentage in the country over that span and the most wins in Big Ten history for a coach in his first two seasons at a program. Cignetti has guided Indiana to back-to-back CFP appearances, along with the program's first Big Ten Championship since 1967 and its first outright conference championship since 1945. Under Cignetti, Indiana also secured its first Heisman winner in quarterback Fernando Mendoza and set a program record for the most players named to the Associated Press All-America team with six. These achievements earned Cignetti his second Big Ten Coach of the Year honor, after winning the award for his team's success the previous season.
 
"I'd like to thank The Dodd Trophy, PNC Bank and Peach Bowl, Inc. for this tremendous honor. Being named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year is a fantastic recognition for our program but it is only possible because of the hard work of our student-athletes, assistant coaches and support staff," said Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti. "At Indiana University we stress many of the same things Coach Dodd did: scholarship, leadership and integrity. This award means we're doing a good job on and off the field."
 
"Coach Cignetti epitomizes everything The Dodd Trophy stands for and I couldn't think of a better representative to be the 50th recipient of this storied award," said Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation Jim Terry. "Coach Cignetti's impact is evident not only in the Hoosiers' historic success this season, but also in the culture of scholarship, leadership and integrity he has established within the program."
 
Off the field, Indiana has excelled in the classroom under Cignetti's leadership. The Hoosiers posted an impressive 982 Academic Progress Rate and held a Graduation Success Rate of 88.
 
In the community, Cignetti has made it a priority for Indiana football to support programs where everyone wins. Through initiatives like Hoosiers for Good, student-athletes partner with local charities to raise awareness for important causes while gaining mentorship and leadership experience. Football players have used this platform to support organizations addressing the issues facing their community, showing that their impact reaches far beyond the field. The program not only benefits local charities and communities, but also helps to shape the players into lifelong, service-minded leaders.
 
After the recent record-setting sellout of his bobblehead from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame Museum, Cignetti also announced that all proceeds from the sale of the bobbleheads would be donated to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
 
"What sets The Dodd Trophy apart is its focus on honoring coaches who exemplify excellence both on and off the field," said Gary Stokan, CEO and president of Peach Bowl, Inc. "Coach Cignetti's success at Indiana goes well beyond wins and championships. His emphasis on academic achievement, community involvement and developing young men of character embodies Coach Dodd's vision, making him a truly deserving recipient of this year's award."
 
"Coach Cignetti's success, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of brilliant," said Samantha Jones, PNC regional president for Georgia. "As presenting sponsor of The Dodd Trophy, PNC Bank is honored to support an award that recognizes a coach's impact on players, schools and communities. We salute Coach Cignetti for being recognized for this tremendous honor."
 
Five of the nation's top head coaches (Curt Cignetti, Ryan Day, Clark Lea, Joey McGuire and Kirby Smart) were named finalists for this year's award by a panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member. Coach Cignetti was then selected as this year's recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation.