When Ben Howland began to assemble his Mississippi State staff, he searched for familiarity and someone he knew he could trust. The search was short with the hiring of Ernie Zeigler, who heads into seventh season at Mississippi State in 2021-22 and his 12th season overall on Howland’s staff between stops at MSU, Pittsburgh and UCLA.
Zeigler has garnered 234 on-court victories, an average of 21.3 wins per season, over 11 seasons with Howland. He is the only assistant coach to be on Howland’s staff both times he has captured national coach of the year awards.
Zeigler has made seven postseason appearances, fueled by five NCAA Tournament trips as an assistant coach. The 2005-06 UCLA team was the NCAA Runner-Up, while the 2001-02 and 2002-03 Pitt squads secured NCAA Sweet 16 runs. He also played a role in a trio of regular season conference championships and a pair of conference tournament titles.
Zeigler possesses over two decades of coaching experience at the collegiate level, which includes six seasons at Central Michigan as a head coach. His previous stops as an assistant coach include Kansas State, Bowling Green, Pitt, UCLA and Detroit.
Zeigler has been instrumental in Mississippi State’s resurgence as the Bulldogs have collected 86 victories since the start of the 2017-18 season, which is tied for fourth-most among SEC schools. State also has captured three consecutive bids to postseason play when postseason tournaments have been played, sparked by a 2019 NCAA Tournament trip and 2021 NIT Runner-Up finish.
The Bulldogs have secured 38 SEC wins over the last four seasons, which is the program’s best four-year total in nearly a decade. Mississippi State also picked up 10-plus SEC victories during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons for the fifth time in program history and earned the program’s best SEC regular season finish in 2019-20 going back nearly 10 years.
Zeigler has been a driving force in MSU’s frontcourt development with the recruitment of Abdul Ado, an ESPN top 100 player. Ado, a 2020-21 All-SEC Defensive Team pick, amassed 249 blocks in 131 games and finished his MSU career tied for second place on the program’s blocks list with Erick Dampier. He ranked among the SEC’s top 10 in blocks during all four seasons and connected on a 59.4 shooting percentage, tops among MSU players who have made at least 300 field goals.
Zeigler played a key role in the signing of Rocket Watts, an impact transfer from Michigan State and former ESPN top 35 recruit for the Class of 2019. Watts tucked away All-Big Ten Freshmen honors in 2019-20 with the Spartans. Michigan State was 16-2 when Watts scored in double figures, and he recorded 67.4 percent of his points against Big Ten opponents.
Before spending two seasons at Detroit under Ray McCallum, Zeigler earned the opportunity to serve as Central Michigan’s head coach. He spent six seasons with the Chippewas and led the program to two MAC (Mid-American Conference) Western Division crowns and a pair of Michigan MAC trophies which is given to the school who has the best head-to-head record among in-state schools.
Central Michigan reached the MAC Tournament quarterfinals in four of his six seasons and logged top three MAC division finishes during five of his six seasons with Zeigler at the helm. His recruiting classes to Mount Pleasant were ranked atop the conference four times overall, ignited by three straight seasons from 2009-11 by
www.HoopScoopOnline.com.
Zeigler mentored eight players to All-MAC selections highlighted by six players who went onto play professionally. Those pro prospects included Trey Zeigler, Giordan Watson, Marcus Van, Derek Jackson, Andre Coimbra and Sefton Barrett.
Zeigler spent five seasons at Pitt and UCLA under Howland’s tutelage from 2002-06. The 2001-02 Pitt team amassed a program single-season record with 29 victories, while the 2005-06 UCLA squad equaled a program single-season mark of 32 wins set by the 1995-96 national champions.
The Panthers claimed a share of the 2002 and 2003 BIG EAST regular season titles and won the 2003 BIG EAST Tournament crown. Pitt climbed as high as No. 2 for four weeks in both the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls before closing the season at No. 4 by the AP in 2002-03.
When Howland headed west to powerhouse UCLA, Zeigler helped build the program back into a national title contender. The Bruins advanced to the NCAA Final Four as the No. 2 seed out of the Oakland regional and fell to Florida in the 2006 NCAA Championship Game. UCLA swept the 2006 Pac-10 regular season and tournament championships.
UCLA posted a top 15 recruiting class each season and inked three McDonalds All-Americans with Zeigler on the staff. The 2004 class was ranked as high as No. 4 by
www.Rivals.com whereas the 2006 class checked in at No. 6 by
www.FOXSports.com.
Zeigler had one-year stints at Kansas State and Bowling Green prior to teaming up with Howland. He began his coaching career under his former prep coach, Robert Menefee, at his alma mater, Detroit Cody High School.
From 1990-96, the Detroit Cody program dialed up a top 10 ranking in the state of Michigan during four of his six seasons. The team reached the state quarterfinals in 1992 and won the Detroit Public School League West Division championship in 1993.
Zeigler also led Team Detroit in the AAU ranks from 1992-97. He guided all six squads to the Michigan AAU Final Four, and the 1994 team reached the national AAU quarterfinals. In 1995 and 1997, Team Detroit advanced to the Adidas Big Time Tournament quarterfinals.
Zeigler made the move overseas where he gained three seasons of head coaching experience from 1997-99. He led the Henan Wildcats from 1996-97 and was tabbed the Chinese National Basketball Alliance International Coach of the Year in 1997. The Wildcats came away with the franchise’s first winning season and first playoff berth in club history.
Then, Zeigler guided Al-Hilal Sports Club to the Arab Championship Games Final Four and the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation Playoffs in 1998 coupled with the championship of the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation Playoffs in 1999.
Zeigler received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cleary College located in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1994. He played collegiately for Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan from 1984-86 before moving onto Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia from 1986-87 and Northwood University in Midland, Michigan from 1987-88.
Zeigler and his wife, Seantelle, have two children: Trey and Skylar.
The Ernie Zeigler File
Hometown • Detroit, Michigan
Family
Wife • Seantelle
Children • Trey • Skylar
Educational Background
High School • Detroit Cody HS • 1984
College • Cleary College • 1994
ZEIGLER’S COACHING EXPERIENCE
Seasons •
School •
Position
2016-Present • Mississippi State • Assistant Coach
2014-15 • Detroit • Assistant Coach
2007-12 • Central Michigan • Head Coach
2004-06 • UCLA • Assistant Coach
2002-03 • Pittsburgh • Assistant Coach
2001 • Bowling Green • Assistant Coach
2000 • Kansas State • Assistant Coach
1998-99 • Al-Hilal Club (Saudi Arabia) • Head Coach
1997 • Henan Wildcats (China) • Head Coach
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