Packers bringing in Frank Cignetti as quarterbacks coach

GREEN BAY - Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy reached way back in his coaching history in hiring Frank Cignetti to become his quarterbacks coach.

The two were graduate assistant coaches under Mike Gottfried at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989 and coached together for a brief time with the New Orleans Saints (2000-01).

McCarthy chose Cignetti, 52, to replace Alex Van Pelt, who had his contract expire and decided to search for an offensive coordinator’s position. Cignetti will be Aaron Rodgers’ fifth quarterbacks coach over his 13-year career, proceeding Van Pelt, Ben McAdoo, Tom Clements and Darrell Bevell.

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Cignetti coached in the college ranks at Fresno State (’02-05), North Carolina (’06), California (’08), Pittsburgh (’09-10) and Rutgers (’11), serving as offensive coordinator at every stop.

He was quarterbacks coach under Mike Nolan in San Francisco in 2007 and returned to the NFL for good in 2012, taking over as quarterbacks coach under Jeff Fisher. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in ’15, but then fired after 12 games with the Rams' offense ranked 31st.

McAdoo then added him to the New York Giants' coaching in 2016 to be his quarterbacks coach, where he served through this past season.

McCarthy has completed the reshuffling of his offensive staff.

He lost wide receivers coach Luke Getsy to Mississippi State, fired offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and did not try to re-sign Van Pelt.

He has hired Joe Philbin to take on what is expected to be a coordinator-type position, hired Cignetti to replace Van Pelt and plucked wide receivers coach Jim Hostler from the Colts' staff to replace Getsy.