Curt Cignetti Position: Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator Experience: Fourth Year Alma Mater: West Virginia, 1983

Curt Cignetti joined the Crimson Tide football coaching staff in February of 2007 as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. The last three signing classes have been listed by most major recruiting analysts among the top five in the country and that young talent helped propel Alabama to the school's 13th National Championship last season. At wide receiver this spring, Cignetti will have a more experienced group of receivers as the top three statistically return in Julio Jones, Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks.

Alabama looked for more diversity in the passing game in 2009 and the Crimson Tide receivers answered that challenge. Julio Jones again led the team in all three receiving categories (43 catches, 596 yards, 4 TD) but the team benefitted greatly as Maze and Hanks emerged as reliable targets and deep threats throughout the season. Maze joined Jones with 500+ receiving yards and finished second on the team in that category. Maze also led the team with five catches for 96 yards in the SEC Championship Game against Florida.

In his second year at the Capstone, Cignetti coached Jones as he established school freshman records for receiving yards (924) and receptions (58). Jones was recognized as the Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club National Freshman of the Year, the AP Freshman of the Year in the SEC and also earned Freshman All-America honors. The true freshman had an outstanding performance in the SEC Championship Game against Florida with five catches for 124 yards.

Cignetti coached D.J. Hall in 2007 as he established Alabama records for career receiving yards and receptions. Hall, who also set the school mark for single season receptions in 2007, was one of three SEC receivers to reach the 1,000-yard mark that year.

Entering his 28th season in the college coaching ranks, Cignetti spent the seven seasons as tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina State before coming to Alabama. He served as recruiting coordinator while coaching tight ends (from 2000-02 and 2005-06) and quarterbacks (2003-04). Among the players Cignetti coached during his tenure with the Wolfpack was the ACC Player of the Year, quarterback Philip Rivers in 2003.

Prior to working with the Wolfpack, Cignetti spent seven seasons (1993-99) on the staff at the University of Pittsburgh. As recruiting coordinator during his three seasons at Pitt, he coached tight ends for the Panthers from 1993-96 and in 1999, and coached the quarterbacks in 1997-98. Cignetti was quarterbacks coach at Temple from 1989-92, coached quarterbacks at Rice from 1986-88 and coached quarterbacks and receivers at Davidson in 1985. Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh in 1983-84.

As a player, Cignetti played quarterback at West Virginia University from 1979-82. During his playing career, Cignetti played on teams that made consecutive bowl appearances in 1981-82 (1981 Peach Bowl and 1982 Gator Bowl). He was honored with the Lewis D. Meisel Award for academic excellence and the A.C. "Whitey" Gwynn Award for character while playing for the Mountaineers.

Cignetti earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from West Virginia. He is married to the former Manette Lawer and the couple has three children: Curtis John, Carly Ann and Natalie.