Pitt assistant coach joins Bruin basketball

Greg Schain
Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Former Pittsburgh assistant coach Ernie Zeigler was hired Monday as an assistant coach on Ben Howland’s new UCLA staff.

Zeigler, who spent the past two seasons working under Howland at Pittsburgh, is the first assistant to be hired by Howland.

Fellow Pittsburgh assistant Jamie Dixon will not be coming to UCLA. He has instead taken the head coaching job at Pittsburgh.

“I am excited and feel extremely fortunate that Ernie is joining us at UCLA,” Howland said in a statement. “He is of the highest caliber in all facets of coaching.”

Before joining Pittsburgh in 2001, Zeigler, 37, spent one year each as an assistant at Kansas State and Bowling Green State.

He also has experience coaching in Saudi Arabia, China and at the high-school level in Detroit.

“He knows what it takes to run a successful basketball program and is of the highest integrity who will represent UCLA in a first-class manner,” Howland said.

In his two seasons at Pitt, the team was 57-11, reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 both years.

Had Dixon not been promoted, he would have likely joined the UCLA staff.

Dixon was also considered for the head coaching positions at Wright State and Illinois State, but both schools hired other candidates.