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Hall of Fame College Football Coach Frank Cignetti Sr. Has Died

The former West Virginia head coach was known for his success at IUP.

Daniel Chavkin

Hall of Fame College Football Coach Frank Cignetti Sr. Has Died
Hall of Fame College Football Coach Frank Cignetti Sr. Has Died /

Longtime college football coach Frank Cignetti Sr. died on Saturday, his son Curt announced on Twitter.

Cignetti spent 24 years as a college football head coach, first for four years at West Virginia from 1976 to ’79 then for 20 years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His record at IUP was 182-50-1, with 10 Division II Lambert Cups, and he currently sits as one of the 50 winningest coaches in college football history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Cignetti kept football in the family with his sons. His oldest son, Frank Cignetti Jr., played for Cignetti at IUP before getting into coaching. He’s spent the past few decades as an assistant for several college and NFL teams, and is currently the offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh.

Curt Cignetti also followed in his father’s footsteps as the head coach of IUP for five years. He then coached at Elon and is currently the head coach at James Madison. SI’s Pat Forde reports that Curt will still coach the Dukes on Saturday against Norfolk State despite losing his father.

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Daniel Chavkin
DANIEL CHAVKIN

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