Curt Cignetti and Manette Lawer spent over three decades of spousal life in love and mutual support. Here's all about their present life and children.
The Indiana Hoosiers convincingly defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in what seemed like a one-sided game on the first day of 2026. With a final score of 38-3, coach, Curt Cigretti's side emerged victorious in the Rose Bowl game and successfully advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The game was a dominant performance by top-seeded Indiana (14-0), which won its first-ever Rose Bowl and its first bowl game since 1991. IU fans have largely credited Curt Cigretti for his coaching tactics and Indiana's win. Amid that, interest in his personal life, including his wife, Manette Lawer, and children, has surged.
Manette Lawer is primarily known as the wife of Curt Cignetti, the head football coach at Indiana University. Manette has been mentioned in news articles and social media posts for her support of her husband's career and their family life. Manette Lawer was the ninth of ten children, named after her mother's friend who was becoming a nun, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as reported by IndyStar. Manette Lawer was a pharmacy student; beyond that, limited public information is available about her, as she chose to remain out of the spotlight.
Curt Cignetti and Manette Lawer's relationship began when he met her in Indiana, Pennsylvania, while she was a pharmacy school student, according to IndyStar. Curt Cignetti was back in the city to visit his parents, where his dad was a football coach at Indiana University. Cuty and Manette felt an instant connection towards each other right in their initial meeting. They went to a party, then kept hanging out together for three to four weeks. At that time, Curt had just started his career as a quarterback coach at Rice University in Houston, while she was in Pittsburgh, probably for school. Thus, the couple had to maintain a long-distance relationship.
Recalling their long-distance courtship, Manette Lawer said she and Curt Cignetti stayed in touch throughout. When the couple finally met in person in October 1988, the Indiana Hoosiers coach wasted no time and popped the question. He proposed to her during a romantic dinner date and asked her whether she would like to spend the rest of her life with him. Opening about her feelings regarding the proposal, Manette stated:
"We were doing a long distance keep in touch," Manette said. "Then I went to visit him for Halloween, and he asked me to marry him...He just looked at me and said, 'Will you marry me?' It came out of nowhere. I said 'Yes.'"
Two months after the dinner date, Curt Cignetti made a more serious proposal to Manette, this time with an engagement ring. The last proposal was hasty and lacked proper planning, but this time things were different. The auspicious occasion of Christmas 1988 turned even happier for the couple as on that day, they decided to get hitched. The following May of 1989, Curt and Manette tied the knot, and in the fall of the same year, he began a job at Temple coaching quarterbacks. They have been married for over 36 years as of January 2026.
Curt Cignetti and Manette Lawer currently live together in a mansion in Bloomington, Indiana, which they purchased in 2024 after he became the head football coach for the Indiana Hoosiers. The couple has three children, Curtis John, Carly Ann, and Natalie Elise. Information regarding their birth date and ages is not publicly available. The only update regarding their kids is that Natalie was an honorable mention All-American in volleyball at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).
During Curt Cignetti's venture at Temple coaching quarterbacks, his wife, Manette Lawer, expressed her appreciation for his organisation and skill. She was impressed with his coaching approach and stated, "he's everything I'm not", indicating his integrity and perseverance. She called him a "great role model" for the players he coached, as he put his all into his work. Talking about his dedication to coaching, Manette mentioned:
"He's super organised. He's everything I'm not. He's always looking for the edge. He can juggle anything. He leads by example. He has great integrity. He's a great role model for these kids. He's 100% all in and that's why his players are the same way."
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