CSU Bakersfield named Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried its third-ever Director of Athletics on Aug. 20, 2015. He wasted no time making an impact in the seat and has spearheaded the most successful years in the history of the athletics program at the NCAA Division I level. Siegfried had previously served in the roles of Interim Director of Athletics and Senior Associate Athletics Director at CSUB since 2012.
As Director of Athletics, Siegfried oversees a successful NCAA Division I Athletics Department comprised of 16 varsity sports programs, including 300+ student-athletes, 90 employees, and an $18 million operational budget.
Siegfried’s top goal for the department when he was hired as the Director of Athletics was to secure a long-awaited invitation to the Big West Conference. In order to achieve this goal, Siegfried created and executed a plan alongside university leadership that resulted in membership to the Big West Conference, effective July 1, 2020.
During Siegfried’s tenure the department unveiled a new strategic plan, developed a $40+ million master facilities plan, launched construction projects totaling more than $15 million, completed a reorganization of athletics staff, negotiated a lucrative contract for multi-media rights, and negotiated the largest apparel deal in the school’s history. Siegfried also established and created the “Four Pillars of Success”, which include promoting academic excellence, providing a positive student-athlete experience, engaging the community, and pursuing competitive success.
Siegfried has proven to be a strategic recruiter when it comes to hiring and retaining successful head coaches. During his time at CSUB, he has led eight head coach searches. He has also retained key head coaches, including former Naismith National Coach of the Year Rod Barnes. Under Siegfried’s leadership, a championship culture has been built across the department resulting in a significant turnaround in competition, with CSUB teams participating in 10 WAC Tournament Championships. Since Siegfried became the Director of Athletics, seven CSUB teams have won Conference Championships, including Baseball (2015), Men’s Basketball (2016), Wrestling (2016), Softball (2016), and Volleyball (2014 and 2017). Additionally, the men’s basketball team won the program’s first regular-season WAC Championship in 2017. Individually, Roadrunners have won 19 WAC titles, six Pac-12 titles, three MPSF gold medals, and nine major WAC awards since Siegfried took over as the Interim Director of Athletics.
CSUB has reached new heights in the classroom during Siegfried’s tenure, posting Graduation Success Rate (GSR) records, department GPA records, and the highest-ever Academic Progress Rates (APR).
Engaging the community has been a major focus during Siegfried’s time at CSUB. He has helped generate the largest amount of revenue the athletics department has ever seen. Under Siegfried’s leadership, ticket sales, donations and corporate sponsorships have reached record highs. Siegfried has also served the Bakersfield Community in many ways, which includes currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Bakersfield Visitor’s Bureau (Visit Bakersfield).
Siegfried has also been active at the university, conference, and national level throughout his career. Nationally, 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 serves 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.
Siegfried arrived in Bakersfield from the University of Memphis where he worked for eight years. During his time in Memphis, he held various positions including serving on the Senior Staff in the Athletics Department as well as serving on the University fundraising leadership team during a successful $250 million campaign. As a member of the athletics senior staff, Siegfried was part of the leadership team that raised $16 million to transform athletics facilities at the U of M. During his time at the University of Memphis Siegfried successfully solicited four gifts of $1 million or more. While in Memphis, he was nominated for the Distinguished Administrator of the Year Award and the Harriet R. Montgomery Customer Service Excellence Award, both of which are University-wide, highly-prestigious honors.
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. Siegfried completed his Doctor of Education from the University of Memphis in 2019.
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Siegfried and his wife, Karen, have five children: William, Samuel, Caroline, Miriam, and their late sister Delilah.
