Elon University Athletics

Curt Cignetti was named Elon University's 22nd head football coach on Dec. 31, 2016. The assistant coach/recruiting coordinator on Nick Saban's undefeated 2009 National Championship team at Alabama, Cignetti guided the Phoenix to a six-win turnaround and an FCS Playoff appearance in his first season. 

Cignetti, who spent the six seasons as the head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania before coming to Elon, has amassed a career record of 67-26.

Under Cignetti's leadership, Elon was one of the nation's most improved teams in 2017. The Phoenix went from 2-9 in 2016 to an 8-4 overall mark in Cignetti's first season at the helm of the program. Elon, which had been picked to place 11th in the 12-team CAA Football league, posted a 6-2 conference record to finish third. Elon's performance on the field led to Cignetti claiming CAA Football Coach of the Year honors and a fourth-place finish in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award for the FCS National Coach of the Year.

During the 2017 season, Elon returned to the Top 25 rankings for the first time since 2010, peaking at No. 7. The maroon and gold defeated four ranked opponents and put together an eight-game winning streak on its way to the program's first FCS Playoff appearance since 2009.

With momentum from the strong first season, Elon reached even greater heights in Cignetti's second season by climbing as high as No. 5 in the national polls on two different occasions. After starting the year on the road with a close loss to FBS-foe USF, Elon won four-straight games with the program's first Division I victory over a Top 5 program in beating No. 2 James Madison 27-24 in Harrisonburg, Va., on Oct. 6. Reaching No. 5 after defeating the Dukes, Cignetti guided Elon to wins in two of its next three games, even though it had lost its starting quarterback and running back. Leading Elon to the playoffs for the second-straight season, it marked the first time in program history the Phoenix made back-to-back postseason appearances at the FCS level.

Elon found itself among the national rankings each of its 11 games throughout the 2018 campaign. After the season, nine players earned All-CAA Football honors to mark the most since Elon had nine honored after the 2010 campaign. 

In each of Cignetti's first two seasons, Elon has had the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year with quarterback Davis Cheek taking the honor in 2017 and Jaylan Thomas winning the award in 2018. 
 
In six seasons at IUP, Cignetti led the Crimson Hawks to a 53-17 (.757) record, including a 33-11 (.750) mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. In 2011, Cignetti inherited a team that finished 4-10 against conference foes two years prior to his arrival. IUP made three NCAA Division II Playoff appearances in 2012, 2015 and 2016 and finished the 2016 campaign ranked No. 12 in the nation. Cignetti helped the Crimson Hawks to a 4-3 record in postseason play, as well. It marked the first time IUP made back-to-back NCAA Playoff appearances since 2002-03.
 
IUP finished the 2016 season ranked first in the nation in passing efficiency (183.44), third in scoring offense (46.3 points per game), fourth in rushing offense (279.8 rushing yards per game), and 12th in total offense (489.6 yards per game). The Crimson Hawks also ended the year first in the country in turnover margin (+2.08) and third in third down conversion percentage (.566). IUP racked up 50 or more points in a game four times in 2016, including a 62-point outburst in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs.
 
Cignetti was hired on Saban's original staff at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide to a national title in 2009 and back-to-back SEC West championships in 2008 and 2009 as the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach. Alabama won 29 consecutive regular season games during Cignetti's stint in Tuscaloosa. Cignetti brought in the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2008, the first of three consecutive top-five recruiting classes.
 
In addition to the national title, Cignetti was part of Alabama teams that posted a record of 33-3 over three seasons, including a berth in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Among his recruits was Mark Ingram, who won the 2008 Heisman Trophy, and Cignetti also coached Julio Jones, the Associated Press SEC Freshman of the Year and Columbus Touchdown Club National Freshman of the Year.
 
Cignetti joined the staff at Alabama after spending seven seasons (2000-06) as the recruiting coordinator at North Carolina State while also coaching tight ends from 2000-02 and 2005-06 and quarterbacks during the 2003 and 2004 campaigns. NC State qualified for five bowl games during that time, including the 2002 Gator Bowl, when the team set a school record with 11 victories. One of his last recruits before moving to Alabama was quarterback Russell Wilson, who played at NC State before moving on to Wisconsin as a senior. Following his record-setting collegiate career, Wilson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks and led the team to a Super Bowl XLVIII victory.
 
Two of Cignetti's recruiting classes at NC State ranked in the top 10 in the nation, and Rivals.com named him one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation in 2004. While working with the NC State quarterbacks, Cignetti had the opportunity to coach 2003 ACC Player of the Year Philip Rivers and help prepare him to become the fourth pick in the NFL draft the following spring.
 
Cignetti first served as a recruiting coordinator during a seven-year stint (1993-99) at the University of Pittsburgh. He also coached the Panthers' tight ends and quarterbacks at various times under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Johnny Majors. Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pitt during the 1983 and 1984 seasons and was part of the team's Fiesta Bowl participant his first year. He coached quarterbacks and receivers at Davidson in 1985 and was the quarterbacks coach at Rice (1986-88) and Temple (1989-92).
 
Cignetti's father, Frank Cignetti Sr., is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and won 199 games as a head coach at West Virginia and IUP. Cignetti's brother, Frank Cignetti Jr., is currently the quarterbacks coach with the NFL's New York Giants.
 
Cignetti was a quarterback at West Virginia, where he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1982. He is married to the former Manette Lawer and the couple has three children – Curtis John, Carly Ann and Natalie Elise.
 

The Curt Cignetti File
Birthdate	June 2, 1961
Alma Mater	West Virginia, 1982
Wife	Manette Cignetti
Children	Curtis John, Carly Ann and Natalie Elise

 

Coaching Experience
1983-84	Graduate Assistant, Pittsburgh
1985	Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers, Davidson
1986-88	Quarterbacks, Rice
1989-92	Quarterbacks, Temple
1993-99	Quarterbacks/Tight Ends, Pittsburgh
2000-06	Recruiting Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Tight Ends, NC State
2007-10	Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers, Alabama
2011-16	Head Coach, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
2017-Present	Head Coach, Elon

 

Playing Experience
1979-82	-Letterwinner quarterback at West Virginia University

 

Coaching Honors
2017	-CAA Football Coach of the Year -Eddie Robinson Award Finalist (4th place)

   

Curt Cignetti Coaching Records
All-Time Record	67-26 (.720)
2011	7-3 (5-2, 3rd West)
2012	12-2 (6-1, 1st West) | DII Quarterfinals | Final Ranking: 7
2013	9-2 (5-2, 2nd West) | Final Ranking: 24
2014	6-5 (5-4, 5th West)
2015	9-3 (6-1, T-1st West) | DII Second Round | Final Ranking: 19
2016	10-2 (6-1, 2nd West) | DII Second Round | Final Ranking: 12
IUP Totals	53-17 (.757)
2017	8-4 (6-2, 3rd) | FCS First Round | Final Ranking: 20/21
2018	6-5 (4-3, 6th) | FCS First Round
Elon Totals	14-9 (.609)

 

Elon Player Honors By The Numbers Under Cignetti (since 2017)
Postseason All-CAA Football	14
CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year	2
Jerry Rice Award Finalist	1
Buck Buchanan Award Finalist	1
Buck Buchanan Award Watch List	2
CFPA FCS National Player of the Year Watch List	2
Phil Steele FCS All-American	1
Associated Press FCS All-American	1
STATS FCS All-American	1
Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American	1
STATS FCS National Performer of the Week	1
CFPA National Player of the Week	2
STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week	1
STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week	1
STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week	1
CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week	4
CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week	4
CAA Football Rookie of the Week	5
CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week	1
STATS FCS Preseason All-American	1
HERO Sports Preseason All-American	1
Athlon Sports Preseason All-American	1
Preseason All-CAA Football	2
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Invitee	1
CoSIDA Academic All-District	4
NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Award Finalist	1