Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

When a team goes from No. 2 in the nation to losing six of its final seven regular-season games, it goes looking for answers.

	Michael Zagaris/Getty Images
	Frank Cignetti Jr., former 49ers QB coach, is heading back to the college game at Cal.

California coach Jeff Tedford did just that. And two answers topped the list: 1.) He needed to be more involved with all aspects of his football team instead of focusing primarily on the offense; 2.) To do that, he needed to to yield play-calling duties and invest full authority into an offensive coordinator he could trust.

Those two answers led him to Frank Cignetti Jr., 42, who's coordinated offenses at Fresno State and North Carolina and coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.

He also is the son of Frank Cignetti, the former West Virginia coach who guided Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) to 28 post-season appearances and compiled a 182-49-1 record.

So this is a pairing of one of the nation's most obsessive, workaholic coaches and one who's got coaching in his blood.

There's a lot on Cignetti's plate, starting with a quarterback competition between Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley and an offense that is without nearly all of its playmakers from a year ago.

Did you and Coach Tedford know each other?

Frank Cignetti Jr.: We didn't know each other prior to this happening.

So how did you guys hook up?

FC: We had a mutual friend -- Trent Dilfer -- who kind of put us together and it went from there.

When you two sat down, what did Jeff tell you he was looking for in a new offensive coordinator? Even with play-calling duties, it might give you pause that you might not have full control when you sign on with an offensive coach like him.

FC: What Jeff was looking for was a guy who could work with him. As we talked, we felt our offensive philosophies were very similar. What I mean by that is our approach to the game in terms of running the ball, protecting the quarterback, throwing the ball and training the quarterback. I think there was a comfort level that our backgrounds and beliefs were going to be compatible. I also think Jeff was looking for a guy who'd be able to come in who'd had success calling plays in the past, who could let him concentrate on other things.

You mentioned training a quarterback: Could you explain that? What are your philosophies in terms of training one?

FC: You look at the fundamentals, in terms of the ball carriage and the footwork and coaching the reads in the passing game. We felt comfortable with each other. Jeff is obviously one of the best in the business on that. When you look at his history coaching and training quarterbacks, for me I looked at it like what a great opportunity to learn from Jeff Tedford.

When you work with quarterbacks: What are some things -- coaching points -- you find yourself repeatedly telling them?

FC: One thing is you want them is to be mechanically sound -- in terms of ball carriage and footwork timed up correctly -- and then obviously in both the passing game and the run game, you're always critiquing the decision-making process. You make sure their starting point is correct and they are looking at the right things, they're making the right decisions. And, in the passing game, that they are throwing a nice, accurate ball.

What's different about coaching in the NFL and college? Have you figured out what your preference is, long term?

FC: My preference is college football. I had an opportunity to stay with the 49ers. I admire coach [Mike] Nolan. But I missed the college game -- the spirit and passion of the game, being part of a university and feeling like it's more than just football. I also missed the role and responsibility of coordinating and play-calling. But I've been fortunate to coach in the NFL and college. It's been a great journey for me. I've had great mentors.

You've got a pretty healthy quarterback competition going on. What did you tell those two going in about how the competition would be handled and what you needed to see from the guy who was going to win the job?

FC: First off, it was a great spring for me and the quarterbacks. Nate [Longshore] only practiced the first week [until he injured a pectoral muscle] but I was very impressed with not only his performance but his leadership, his command of the offense and his command of the huddle. Kevin Riley, I was also impressed with. He went through the whole spring and did a very good job in his decision-making. He completes the football and can make things happen with his feet. Both Nate and Kevin know it's a healthy situation; it's a competitive situation. What I communicated to them, as I have to any of the quarterbacks I've had in the past when there's a competition, is the starting quarterback, it comes down to, one, who can lead the team, who can command the huddle, who can make the best decisions. And then who can complete the football and minimize turnovers.

At the end of spring, did you have one ahead of the other?

FC: Absolutely not. Nate had such a good first week of practice that there was no doubt in my mind that, after we were told he'd miss the rest of spring, that he'd at least be part of a competition, if not the starter.

Have you substantially tweaked the offense: Are these quarterbacks learning a new scheme?

FC: This is the third time I've taken a job as a coordinator and adapted to their terminology. It's easier for one guy to learn than for 50 guys to learn something new. But (the new offense) it's going to be very similar (to last year) with some personalizing of things in the running game, protection phase and the passing game.

There's also a lot of competition at receiver, mostly because you've got only young guys who haven't played much. How does that stack up?

FC: It's a good, young crew of receivers. When you look at flanker, you've got guys like Jeremy Ross and Nyan Boateng, who had good springs and are talented players. At split end, you've got Michael Calvin and LaReylle Cunningham and some other guys. I really like the receiving corps.

You and Tedford haven't had a game together yet: With the intensity of that, have you guys talked about how it will be sometimes when the screws are tightening and emotions are high and there's a voice on the headset that wants to call his own play?

FC: I'm a head coach's son. When I was my father's coordinator, he was an offensive guy, and one thing I learned was to respect and understand the chain of command. Jeff Tedford is the head coach; Frank Cignetti is the offensive coordinator. I'm really looking forward to the situation. Coach Tedford has been as successful as anybody in this profession. If there are times he's going to make suggestions, I promise you I will be listening.