(June 1, 2023) Skidmore College head women’s basketball coach Jessica Turner has announced the return of Richard “Ziggy” Ziegler to her staff for the 2023-24 season. Ziegler previously served as an assistant coach at Skidmore during the 2021-22 campaign.
Ziegler recently completed a season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of New Haven, where he helped lead the team to a 17-9 regular season including a 12-8 mark in the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference. The Chargers earned the right to host a playoff game for the first time since 2015.
“I’m thrilled to have Richard re-join our Thoroughbred family,” Turner said. “He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge, and an extensive amount of experience recruiting at all three NCAA levels. I believe Richard’s strong work ethic and dedication will be instrumental in the continued growth of our program.”
Ziegler was instrumental at Skidmore in guiding a youthful 2021-22 team, which featured nine underclassmen, to a 14-10 record and a Liberty League postseason berth. The fruits of his labor were realized in 2022-23, when the Thoroughbreds captured the Liberty League Championship before winning the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game.
Ziegler began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Western Michigan during the 2014-15 season when the Mustangs went 20-13. He followed that with as a graduate assistant at Michigan State the 2015-16 season, helping the Spartans to a 25-9 record. He then spent a season as an assistant at Norwich University and Stockton University for three seasons.
A native of Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, Ziegler possesses a bachelor’s degree in Management of Sports Industries from New Haven.
