Sport(s) Football 1969 Princeton (assistant) 1957–1959 Indiana State (PA) Name Frank Sr. | 1962–1965 Leechburg HS (PA) Role American football player 1966–1968 Pittsburgh (assistant) Positions End | |
Born October 8, 1937 (age 86) ( 1937-10-08 ) 1960–1961 Leechburg HS (PA) (assistant) | ||
Frank Cignetti Sr. (born October 8, 1937) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at West Virginia University from 1976 to 1979 and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, compiling a career college football record of 199–77–1. Cignetti led the IUP Indians to the title game of the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1990 and 1993. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2013.
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Coaching career
Cignetti coached the West Virginia Mountaineers from 1976 to 1979. His record at West Virginia stands at 17–27, but his most success was in NCAA Division II football. He coached Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) to a 182–50–1 record from 1986 to 2005. Under Cignetti, the Indians made their first Division II post-season appearance in 1987. His 28 post-season games is a Division II coaching record, while his 15 playoff wins were second-best when he retired in 2005. In 1991, he was the Division II coach of the year. His teams won 10 Lambert Cups, as the best Division II team in the eastern United States.
Family
Cignetti's son Frank Jr. played football for his father at IUP from 1985 to 1987. Cignetti Jr. is a former offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. His son Curt was announced as the head coach for IUP on January 21, 2011, after serving four years as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama.
Coaching tree
Assistant coaches under Frank Cignetti Sr. who became NCAA head coaches: