Curt Cignetti and Indiana did not waste time creating a long-term relationship.

After a 10-0 start to the season, which is the best in Hoosier football history, the university signed its first-year head coach to an eight-year contract extension worth $8 million a year. This keeps Cignetti in Bloomington through the 2032 season.

Cignetti was slated to make $4 million this season. At the end of the term, he could make up to $72 million with different incentives.

So far, Cignetti has navigated the Hoosiers out of the basement of the Big Ten. Indiana went 9-27 over the last three years and sported one of the worst teams in the nation. It decided to go out and get James Madison head coach Cignetti, who turned the Dukes into a winner at the FBS level.

The question is, how has Cignetti turned Indiana around in just one year?

First and foremost, there is a new culture in Bloomington. Cignetti brings a spirited confidence to the sideline and gives his team a belief each week — and he is not shy about showing it.

On the field, Kurtis Rourke has turned into one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the conference. He has thrown 21 touchdowns to just four interceptions this season. It has led to Indiana turning in lopsided win after lopsided win. The decision to extend Cignetti came ahead of Indiana’s biggest game of the season.

The Hoosiers will have a chance to prove that they are for real with a trip to Columbus coming this weekend. This will be a top-five matchup where both teams want to flex their muscles. For Indiana, it enters as a two-touchdown underdog.

Right now, Cignetti has turned Indiana into a College Football Playoff team. It is currently top five in the nation and it looks like an entirely different program. If Cignetti is serious about staying in Bloomington, this might be a job he has until he retires. What we do know is that the Hoosiers have their head coach for the foreseeable future.