Cignetti led the IUP Indians[a] to the title game of the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1990 and 1993.
As an end on the football team, Cignetti was a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American.
[4] Cignetti's first coaching position was as an assistant for Leechburg High School's football team.
[5] Though the team had won the 1975 Peach Bowl, 32 of its players were seniors, and Cignetti had to rebuild the program.
[5] Under Cignetti, IUP won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division 14 times and did not have a losing season.
IUP appeared in NCAA Division II's semifinals five times and in the championship game twice.
Cignetti Jr. is a former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for many NFL and college teams, most recently the Pittsburgh Panthers.