<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Looking at Frank Cignetti's OC history

          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 6, 2015, 04:00 PM ET
            Close
              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
            Follow on X

          EARTH CITY, Mo. -- With the St. Louis Rams expected to name quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti their new offensive coordinator next week, now seems as good a time as any to examine his history at the position.

          While Cignetti will be embarking on his first shot at running an NFL offense, he does have plenty of experience handling the role at the college level, including five stops at FBS schools. Those include Fresno State (2002-05), North Carolina (2006), California (2008), Pittsburgh (2009-10) and Rutgers (2011).

          Rutgers

          2011: The Scarlet Knights averaged 26.4 points per game (65th in the nation), 339 yards per game (99th), 241.2 pass yards per game (52nd) and 97.8 rushing yards per game (112th).

          Pittsburgh

          2010: The Panthers averaged 26.3 points per game (65th), 367 yards per game (72nd), 201.2 passing yards per game (73rd) and 165.7 rushing yards per game (45th).

          2009: 32.1 points per game (21st), 392 yards per game (52nd), 211.3 passing yards per game (68th) and 180.3 rushing yards per game (34th).

          California

          2008: The Golden Bears averaged 32.6 points per game (27th), 376 yards per game (47th), 189.8 passing yards per game (83rd) and 186.2 rushing yards per game (29th).

          North Carolina

          2006: The Tar Heels averaged 18 points per game (100th), 293 yards per game (101st), 179.7 passing yards per game (83rd) and 113.3 rushing yards per game (90th).

          Fresno State

          2005: The Bulldogs averaged 37.8 points per game (sixth), 425 yards per game (tied for 29th), 260.3 passing yards per game (25th) and 164.6 rushing yards per game (41st).

          2004: 40.2 points per game (fifth), 405 yards per game (tied for 31st), 177 passing yards per game (95th) and 227.5 rushing yards per game (15th).

          2003: 23 points per game (80th), 352.6 yards per game (77th), 192.1 passing yards per game (84th) and 160.4 rushing yards per game (50th).

          2002: 27 points per game (62nd), 374 yards per game (59th), 241.6 passing yards per game (41st) and 132.4 rushing yards per game (77th).

          Of course, none of these numbers mean anything in terms of how successful Cignetti will be the Rams. Clearly, his offenses didn't do much at the college level save for a couple of strong years at Fresno State and good seasons at California and Pittsburgh.

          Aside from Cignetti's time as college coordinator, he spent time coaching quarterbacks in New Orleans (2000-2001) and San Francisco in 2007. If nothing else, Cignetti brings familiarity to the Rams and to quarterback Sam Bradford. It's up to him to figure out how to get the most out of what's in place.