Curt Cignetti's brother leaves IUP for NFL reunion with former coach

Frank Cignetti Jr. has joined the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff, according to a report by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Cignetti’s addition comes as Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy continues to shape his offensive staff. While the team has not formally announced Cignetti’s title, Dulac reported he will occupy a newly created role, potentially as a senior offensive assistant. 

Cignetti, 60, brings decades of coaching experience at both the college and professional levels. He previously worked under McCarthy as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2018, marking a reunion between the two coaches. His NFL resume also includes stops with the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants and St. Louis Rams, where he served as offensive coordinator in 2015.

At the collegiate level, Cignetti was most recently the offensive coordinator at Indiana University of Pennsylvania during the 2024 season after serving as Pitt’s offensive coordinator from 2022-23. He has also held offensive coordinator roles at Boston College, Fresno State, North Carolina, Cal and Rutgers. Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pitt in 1989.

Frank Jr. is the brother of Curt Cignetti, the Indiana head coach who recently led the Hoosiers to a national championship, and the son of a longtime coach at IUP and West Virginia.

Cignetti’s return to the NFL is his first since his time in Green Bay. His experience developing quarterbacks and familiarity with McCarthy’s system could be a key factor as the Steelers look to improve an offense that has struggled in recent seasons.

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