Pitt position a dream job for Cignetti

Not only did Frank Cignetti Jr. leave a BCS program with a Heisman Trophy candidate to make a lateral move across the country, he admits that he took a pay cut.

Yet Cignetti couldn't be more thrilled.

Upon being introduced Wednesday afternoon as Pitt's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Cignetti called it his "dream job."

"This is home," he said. "This is like hitting the lottery, not only personally but professionally."

The 43-year-old left the University of California after one season to return to his roots, where he began his coaching career as a Pitt graduate assistant in 1989 and where his family name resonates with college football fans.

It was so enticing that Cignetti said he accepted a cut from a Cal salary of reportedly about $350,000, including incentives.

"If you just look at the base salary, of course. When you look at the cost of living, that's where you've got to make your decision," said Cignetti, whose parents and two sisters and their families reside in Western Pennsylvania. "To me, you can't put a price tag on it. It's priceless."

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt feels the same, considering Cignetti comes from a family with deep coaching bloodlines. His father, Frank Sr., was a Pitt assistant from 1966-68 and West Virginia's head coach from '76-79. He also won 182 games at Division II Indiana (Pa.) University, where Frank Jr. was an all-conference safety and, later, spent eight years as an assistant. His brother, Curt, was a Pitt assistant in the '90s and now coaches at Alabama.

After considering former Panthers coach Walt Harris - who was hired yesterday as Akron's quarterback coach and passing-game coordinator - and New York Jets receivers coach Noel Mazzone, Wannstedt switched gears this past weekend and courted Cignetti.

"When I visualized what I felt our program needed - play-caller, quarterback coach, a guy committed to the program, a recruiter - Frank is all of those things," Wannstedt said. "Once he showed that he would have an interest in talking about it, it was really an easy decision."

Cignetti left behind a Cal program featuring the nation's No. 3 rusher in Jahvid Best for a Pitt offense that lost the nation's No. 10 rusher, LeSean McCoy, to early entry to the NFL Draft. Cignetti also inherits a quarterback position expected to see a spring-drills battle with incumbent starter Bill Stull, backup Pat Bostick and redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri.

Developing quarterbacks is considered one of Cignetti's strengths - he coached the position at four college stops and in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers. He is also considered detail-oriented and a strong communicator.

In that regard, Cignetti could be considered an upgrade over predecessor Matt Cavanaugh, who left earlier this month after four seasons to become the New York Jets' quarterbacks coach. Cignetti said he talked to Cavanaugh "at length" about the job.

Their philosophies are similarly rooted in the West Coast offense, with an emphasis on minimizing turnovers while employing a power-run game complemented by play-action passes.

"What we would like to do," Cignetti said, "is be a great, physical, downhill run team."

Cignetti, who will be the primary play-caller after working for offensive-minded Cal coach Jeff Tedford, said he believes the Panthers have all the ingredients to become a Big East and national championship contender.

"The bottom line is, to leave a good job, you've got to take a better job," Cignetti said. "There's no doubt that at Pittsburgh there's a great future, a great tradition. Coach Wannstedt was the right man to work for and get this job done."