The University of Detroit Mercy men’s basketball team added a veteran basketball coach with strong ties to the State of Michigan as head coach Ray McCallum announced the hiring of Detroit native Ernie Zeigler as an assistant coach on Wednesday (May 29).
“I’m truly blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to work with coach McCallum and the Detroit staff,” stated Zeigler. “Coach McCallum and I go way back and there is nothing better than to work with one of your friends, especially one you have the up most respect for. Basketball has brought me back home, I’m excited to be here and join the Titan family.”
Zeigler coached at Central Michigan for six seasons (2006-12) and led the Chippewas to two Mid-American Conference West Division titles and a pair of Michigan MAC Trophies. CMU won back-to-back West Division titles in 2009 and 2010 and captured the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Michigan MAC Trophy for best head-to-head record among in-state league schools in 2010 and 2012.
The Chippewas reached the MAC Tournament quarterfinals in four of his six seasons and finished below third in the conference standings just once. For three straight years (2009, 2010 and 2011) and four times overall (2007), CMU’s recruiting classes were ranked atop the MAC by hoopscooponline.com.
During his tenure at CMU, Zeigler (75-111, .403) mentored eight All-MAC selections, six that went on to play professionally.
Zeigler also spent five seasons as an assistant coach under Ben Howland at both Pittsburgh (2002-03) and UCLA (2004-06). The programs achieved great success with Zeigler on staff as Pitt reached the NCAA Sweet 16 both years and finished 2003 with a final Associated Press ranking of No. 4. The 2002 squad won a school-record 29 games while the 2003 team captured the Big East Tournament championship. Both years the Panthers won the Big East West Division championship.
Each season UCLA had a top 15-ranked recruiting class – fourth by rivals.com in 2004, 13th by scout.com in 2005 and sixth by foxsports.com in 2006. The Bruins recruited three McDonald’s All-Americans in the three years Zeigler was on staff.
Prior to joining Howland’s staff, Zeigler had one-year stints at Kansas State (2000) and Bowling Green (2001).
Zeigler began his coaching career under his former prep coach, Robert Menefee, at his alma mater, Detroit Cody High School. Zeigler was an assistant at Cody from 1990-96; in four of those six seasons, Cody was ranked among the top 10 Class A teams in the state of Michigan. Detroit Cody reached the state quarterfinals in 1992 and won the Detroit Public School League West Division championship in 1993.
From 1992 to 1997, Zeigler was the head AAU coach for Team Detroit. He guided all six squads to the state AAU Final Four and the 1994 squad reached the national AAU quarterfinals. In 1995 and 1997, Team Detroit advanced to the adidas Big Time Tournament quarterfinals.
Zeigler received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cleary College (Ypsilanti, Mich.) in 1994. He played collegiately at Schoolcraft College (Livonia, Mich.) from 1984-86, Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, Ga.) from 1986-87 and Northwood University (Midland, Mich.) from 1987-88.
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