Recruiting Area: Section 5
Kyle Pignatiello begins his fourth season on the Cortland coaching staff in 2018 working with the team’s running backs and specialists (kickers, punters, holders, snappers). A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Pignatiello also is beginning his second year as the Red Dragons’ team strength and conditioning coach.
Over a three-season span from 2016 through 2018, Cortland’s kickers have made 126-of-133 point-after kicks and 25-of-35 field goals (21-of-25 inside 40 yards). Kicker/punter Nick Mongelli was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year. The Red Dragons ranked first in the Empire 8 in net punting in 2016 and second in 2017.
Pignatiello graduated in 2015 from the University of Dayton, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management, with a minor in business administration. He was a four-year letterwinner with the Flyers from 2011-14 and was the team’s starting punter in each of his last three seasons. He averaged nearly 39 yards per punt during his career and twice set school records for punting average in a season, and he was a two-time conference All-Academic Team selection.
After concluding his collegiate playing career, Pignatiello worked as a volunteer coach at Urbana University in Ohio in the spring of 2015 before going to Heidelberg University, where he coached running backs, punters and kickers during the 2015 season. The Tipp City, Ohio native was a two-time all-state punter and two-time all-league defensive end at Tippecanoe High School.
Pignatiello earned a master’s degree in sport management from Cortland in May 2019.
