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Frank Cignetti Sr. (October 8, 1937 – September 10, 2022) was a 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.

Early life and education

Cignetti attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), and played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1960, and earned a master's degree from IUP in 1965.

Coaching career

Cignetti's first coaching position was as an assistant for Leechburg High School's football team. He became Leechburg's head coach and coached them to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class 1A championship in 1965. From 1966 to 1968, he was an assistant with the Pittsburgh Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh, where he coached their quarterbacks and wide receivers. He served as an offensive assistant for the Princeton Tigers of Princeton University in 1969 and joined Bobby Bowden's coaching staff for the West Virginia Mountaineers of West Virginia University, coaching the offensive backfield.

Cignetti succeeded Bowden as the Mountaineers' head coach in 1976, and coached them through the 1979 season. Though the team had won the 1975 Peach Bowl, 32 of their players were seniors, and Cignetti had to rebuild the program. He had a 17–27 (.386) record as West Virginia's head coach. In 1979, Cignetti was diagnosed with lymphomatoid granulomatosis, a form of cancer. He was fired after the 1979 season, but recovered from the cancer.

In 1982, Cignetti returned to IUP as the director of athletics. He became the head coach of IUP's football team in 1986. He coached the Crimson Hawks to a 182–50–1 (.783) record from 1986 to 2005. Under Cignetti, the Indians made their first NCAA 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.

Cignetti was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Also in that year, IUP renamed its football field in honor of Cignetti.

Personal life

Cignetti and his wife, Marlene, had four children. 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. Curt served as the head coach at Elon University from 2016 to 2018, and in December 2018 was named the 8th head coach of James Madison.

Cignetti died on September 10, 2022.

Head coaching record

College

References

1. ^ mburglund@indianagazette.net, MATTHEW BURGLUND. "Cignetti's legacy remains strong at IUP". The Indiana Gazette Online.
2. ^ "College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti Sr. dies at 84". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
3. "Leechburg's Cignetti Joins Princeton Staff". Newspapers.com. February 6, 1969. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
4. "West Virginia Adds 2 Aides". Newspapers.com. January 21, 1970. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
5. Hertzel, Bob. "The legacy of Coach Frank Cignetti Sr". Times West Virginian.
6. "17 Aug 1979, Page 25 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at". Newspapers.com. August 17, 1979. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
7. "16 Sep 1979, 20 - The Baltimore Sun at". Newspapers.com. September 16, 1979. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
8. ^ "Frank Cignetti: Former WVU Coach Lost Job He Loves, Won Bigger Battle". The Washington Post. September 25, 1980. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
9. "IUP's Frank Cignetti Selected to Division II Football Hall of Fame". Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics.
10. "Frank Cignetti Sr. to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame | TribLIVE.com". Archive.triblive.com. May 30, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
11. "IUP to Name Football Field in Honor of Frank Cignetti, Sr". Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics.
12. Deas, Tommy (January 21, 2011). "Cignetti to be named IUP coach". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
13. "What JMU's Curt Cignetti learned from Alabama football coach Nick Saban". Tuscaloosanews.com. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
14. "Hall of fame college football coach Frank Cignetti Sr. dies at 84". Cbsnews.com. January 11, 1949. Retrieved September 10, 2022.

External links

• Frank Cignetti Sr. at the College Football Hall of Fame

• 1937 births
• 2022 deaths
• People from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
• American football ends
• IUP Crimson Hawks football coaches
• IUP Crimson Hawks football players
• Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches
• Princeton Tigers football coaches
• West Virginia Mountaineers football coaches
• Players of American football from Pennsylvania
• High school football coaches in Pennsylvania
• College Football Hall of Fame inductees