Since becoming a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989 he has bounced around many different places at the college and professional levels.
Most significant for our purposes is how Cignetti's offenses fared when he was the coordinator in previous Power Five or Group of Five jobs.
Cignetti hasn't been a college offensive coordinator in about a decade, since he held the role of quarterbacks coach and OC at Pittsburgh from 2009-2010.
Here's an overview of what his offenses were like at various places and in different years.
Fresno State 2002-2005
In Cignetti's first year with the Bulldogs as offensive coordinator there was a nice run-pass balance as they averaged a respectable 27.1 points per game, but the most successful player on the unit was Rodney Davis, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards on more than 300 carries.
Fresno State's offense was much worse than following season, averaging only 23 points per game (80th NCAA), even with some of the top skill position players returning.
His real breakthrough year as a major offensive coordinator came in 2004, when Fresno State averaged a whopping 40.2 points per game (5th NCAA), with Paul Pinegar passing for 23 touchdowns on just 292 attempts and with two backs, Bryson Sumlin and Wendell Mathis, rushing for a combined 2,000 yards on 336 carries.
Cignetti demonstrated that he will adapt the ratios to suit his personnel strengths in 2005 with Pinegar passing 416 times and seeing his touchdown tally rise to 30. The ground game remained strong and Fresno State averaged 37.8 points per game.
North Carolina 2006
John Bunting hired Cignetti to coach the Tar Heels' offense in the '06 season and it did not go well, with UNC averaging a paltry 18 points per game (99th NCAA).
California 2008
Cignetti's return to a college offensive coordinator role in 2008 with California went much better than his one-year stint with the Tar Heels, as the Bears averaged 32.6 points (27th) behind Jahvid Best's 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Pittsburgh 2009 - 2010
In Cignetti's two years piloting the Pittsburgh offense the Panthers averaged 32 points and then 26 points. Dion Lewis rushed for 1,799 yards in '09 and topped the 1,000 yard mark again in '10.
What stands out about the offensive production of Cignetti's teams has been that they normally fall within a standard range of average to slightly above average teams in terms of scoring, and those offenses are more powered by a commitment to the run game than airing it out a lot. Some changes could be expected after a decade.
