Turning the page into a new era of Purple Aces athletics, University of Evansville President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz announced the hiring of Dr. Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried as the new Director of Athletics on April 21, 2022.
Siegfried wasted no time in re-igniting what he refers to as a “Sleeping Giant” that is UE Athletics. In a span of less than five weeks, Siegfried set the table for the future of the men’s basketball program with the hiring of nationally recognized recruiter and coach, David Ragland. In less than two years on the job, Coach Ragland has orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in the nation. Year two under Coach Ragland saw the program more than triple its win total from the prior season while earning its first postseason berth in nearly a decade.
In June of 2023, Siegfried announced the Pathway to Excellence Athletics Strategic Plan focusing on transforming the Athletics Department in six goal areas including education, competition, campus/community engagement, facilities, enrollment management, and resources. It did not take long for the plan to translate into success.
Over the course of the 2023-2024 season, UE Athletics saw what was arguably its most competitive season over the last 20+ years. This success led to the highest NACDA Director’s Cup standings ranking since 1999. Highlighting the year was the UE Baseball team winning the MVC Baseball Tournament, winning a NCAA D1 Baseball regional, defeating the #1 team in the country (UT Vols), two student-athletes earning All-America honors, and finishing in the top-25 in all baseball polls including a #11 ranking (Perfect Game Top 25). That same spring, UE Women’s Golfer Kate Petrova won the MVC Golf Championship for the second-straight year and competed in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. There have also been numerous individual honors during the 2023-2024 season, highlighted with volleyball student-athlete Giulia Cardona becoming the first Ace to win MVC Player of the Year. Cardona also earned All-America honors, and led the nation in kills average, points average, and total points.
Since Siegfried’s arrival, ticket revenue has increased by 44%, including an increase of 358% in men’s basketball single-game ticket revenue from 2021-2022 to 2023-2024 Fundraising revenue has increased by 53% during that same time. In May of 2024, it was announced that the UE Athletics Department received the largest individual donation of $3 million from alums Kyle and Ashley Freeland. As part of the Pathway to Excellence Athletics Strategic Plan, Siegfried also placed a high priority on generating revenue for the University as a whole. During the 2023-2024 year, Siegfried created an Athletics Enrollment plan that has resulted in a more than $1 million increase in net revenue for the University.
In June 2023 the UE Athletics Facilities Master Plan was created. Under Siegfried’s leadership, the Purple Aces have completed or are in the process of completing $5.4 million in capital projects. This includes a $3 million Baseball Clubhouse, $1.1 million new Softball Turf Field, a $1.2 million new Intramurals and Soccer Practice fields, a renovation to expand the baseball press boxes, and enhancements to the basketball practice facilities for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Siegfried has placed a priority on academics and the holistic development of UE student-athletes. During the 2022-2023 school year, UE student-athletes earned a 3.492 GPA, marking the highest in department history. In 2023-2024, student-athletes earned a 3.466 GPA, marking the second highest in department history. All 17 teams have earned a 3.0 or better GPA during Siegfried’s first two years. Both the GPA and Graduation Success rates (96%) for UE student-athletes ranks 2nd in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Campus and Community Engagement has been a top priority for Siegfried since the beginning. In July of 2022, Siegfried created the Athletics Director’s Council, an advisory body dedicated to supporting and advancing the mission of UE Athletics. Siegfried has also placed an emphasis on being visible in the community and on campus, listening to feedback from fans, and having strong communication with Purple Aces (friends and alumni of UE Athletics) everywhere. Attendance at UE sporting events has skyrocketed during Siegfried’s tenure, including a 38% increase in men’s basketball attendance. Women’s Soccer saw a 60% increase in average attendance since Siegfried’s arrival, while baseball set a new record for single-game attendance during the 2023-2024 season. Under Siegfried’s leadership, the department also won the Bronze NACMA Best of Award for Year over Year Revenue increase for our increase in men’s basketball from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024.
Siegfried joined the University of Evansville from California State University Bakersfield (CSUB) where he has served as the Director of Athletics from 2015 to 2022. In his role at CSUB, Siegfried has successfully led an athletic program that is comprised of 16 varsity sports programs with over 300 student-athletes and 90 employees. One of the highlights of his tenure at CSUB was when he succeeded in securing an invitation for CSUB to join the Big West Conference.
Siegfried transformed the athletics department during his tenure at CSUB through the development of a new strategic plan, the creation of a comprehensive master facilities plan, and the commencement of a variety of major construction projects. Under his direction, CSUB generated the largest amount of revenue in the history of the department while achieving high ticket sales and securing significant donations and corporate sponsorships.
Putting an emphasis on academics was a pivotal part of Siegfried's blueprint. During his tenure, CSUB set records in Graduation Success Rates (GSR), departmental GPAs, and Academic Progress Rates (APR). Siegfried has also been active at the university, conference, and national level throughout his career. On a national level, he serves on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) Board and is in his third year serving on the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program Committee.
At the conference level, he served on the Big West Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the D1-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team Committee and has served on the conference championships committee for both the Western Athletic Conference and the Big West Conference.
Prior to his arrival in Bakersfield, Siegfried worked at the University of Memphis for eight years on the Senior Staff within the Athletics Department while serving on the University fundraising leadership team during a successful $250 million campaign. During his time at U of M, Siegfried helped to raise $16 million that went into the transformation of the athletic facilities.
Siegfried attended the University of Memphis where he earned a bachelor's degree in education and sports management in 2003. He earned his Master of Science in sports administration from Middle Tennessee State University in 2004 and completed his Doctor of Education from the University of Memphis in 2019. A native of Memphis, Siegfried and his wife, Karen, have five children: William, Samuel, Caroline, Miriam, and their late sister Delilah.
