NFF Release
Indiana Gazette Story
DALLAS – Former IUP head football coach Frank Cignetti has been selected to the 2013 Divisional College Football Hall of Fame Class as it was announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) on Thursday afternoon.
The winningest head coach in IUP history, Frank Cignetti led the program to unprecedented success during his 20-year tenure from 1986 to 2005. He becomes the third IUP representative in the College Football Hall of Fame, following defensive end Jim Haslett (2001) and fellow coach Chuck Klausing (1998).
It didn't take long for Cignetti to find success at IUP, leading the former Indians to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) titles in his first two seasons in 1986 and 1987 and subsequent Division II national title game appearances in 1990 and 1993. He took IUP to 13 Division II playoff appearances, including six trips to the national semifinals, and he led the school to at least a co-share of the PSAC Western Division title 14 times. Under his tutelage, IUP ranked in the Top 20 each season from 1986-2004, achieving undefeated regular seasons in 1991 and 1993. He retired after the 2005 season as the third-winningest active coach in Division II.
Cignetti's teams received the Lambert Cup 10 times as the top Division II team in the East. He was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year five times and the Kodak College Division Regional Coach of the Year three times en route to earning Chevrolet Division II National Coach of the Year honors in 1991. Cignetti coached 11 First Team All-Americans and 124 First Team All-PSAC performers.
Cignetti served as the offensive coordinator at West Virginia University under College Football Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden from 1970-75 before taking over as the Mountaineers' head coach for four seasons (1976-79). The former NAIA All-American, who played end at IUP from 1956-59, was an inaugural member of the schools athletics hall of fame in 1996, and he served as the IUP athletic director from 1982-98.
He joins six other college division enshrinees, including players Shelby Jordan, Joe Micchia, Art Shell and Jeff Wittman and coaches James "Boots" Donnelly and Jess Dow. This group of seven adds to the 14 who were selected as the Football Bowl Subdivision Class earlier this month.
Established in 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame has inducted 934 former players and 205 former coaches from the nearly 4.92 million who have played or coached the game over the last 144 years. The Hall of Fame hosts more than 250 annual events, including the Enshrinement Festival each July and the popular Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series. 294 schools are represented with at least one enshrinee.
