Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti is a stoic guy on the field — but when a game is over, he’s a family man.
The coach learned his love of football from the best — his dad, Frank Cignetti Sr.
“First of all, my dad would be really mad at some of the things I said when I got hired,” Curt told the Indy Star in November 2024. “I thought this situation was a clash of two worlds. One used to winning, and winning championships, and another where people thought it was impossible. I wasn’t going to lower my expectations and standards.”
For those who missed it, Curt’s famous soundbite came from a 2023 interview when he was asked about securing football recruits to Indiana. “I win — Google me,” he said, confidently. (Curt did make the IU Hoosiers a 14-0 football team in 2025, so he’s not wrong.)
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has taken the Indiana University football team to new heights — but the athlete couldn’t have done it without his supportive family by his side. “My lifelong teammate, Alberto, my brother, my closest confidant. The one I trust more than anybody to get through a tough day, tough […]
“I’d have got chastised for that,” Curt said of his father during the same interview. “But my dad was a confident guy. He was very confident.”
Curt and his father, Frank, aren’t the only Cignetti football legends. Keep scrolling to meet the Indiana University coach’s family:
Who Was Curt Cignetti’s Dad?
Curt followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a college coach. Frank Cignetti Sr. was most known for his roles as the head football coach at both West Virginia University, a position he held from 1976 to 1979, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), a role he held from from 1986 to 2005.
Frank Sr. was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Curt announced on social media in September 2022 that his dad died at age 84.
“I was blessed to have a great Dad!” Curt wrote on X at the time. “He inspired me and so many others. Love you Dad! Rest in peace.”
Does Curt Cignetti Have a Brother?
Curt’s brother, Frank Cignetti Jr., has also carried on their family’s football legacy. He kicked off his career coaching the IUP team under his father. Frank Jr. moved on to the NFL where he held coaching positions with the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints before getting a job for Fresno State in 2002.
He’s also held positions coaching at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the San Francisco 49ers, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and Boston College.
Frank Jr. is currently the offensive coordinator for IUP, a role he’s held since 2025.
Who Is Curt Cignetti’s Wife?
Curt married Manette Cignetti in May 1989 after meeting in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
“We were doing a long distance keep in touch,” Manette told the IndyStar in October 2024. “Then I went to visit him for Halloween, and he asked me to marry him.”
Manette couldn’t help but gush over her husband in the same interview.
“He’s super organized. He’s everything I’m not. He’s always looking for the edge. He can juggle anything,” she shared. “He leads by example. He has great integrity. He’s a great role model for these kids. He’s 100 percent all in and that’s why his players are the same way.”
Does Curt Cignetti Have Kids?
Curt and Manette share three kids, Natalie, Carly and Curtis.