There has been some interesting news out of UCLA over the past 24 hours where top assistant men's basketball coach Donny Daniels, who had been with the Bruins for seven years, decided to take a position with the Gonzaga men's basketball program. The move was confirmed by UCLA coach Ben Howland today.
When asked when he would hire a replacement, Howland remarked that he would not make a hire until after the April signing period, but there is some speculation that Central Michigan men's basketball coach Ernie Zeigler is on their radar to return to the staff.
Zeigler's son, Trey, has UCLA as one of five remaining schools on his list of possible colleges he will attend to play basketball, and certainly if Howland was able to get Ernie to leave CMU for UCLA, that would probably bring Trey as well.
UCLA would be able to pay its top assistant close to equal if not more than what the Chippewas can pay their head coach.
CMU and Zeigler are in talks about a new four-year contract that would give Zeigler an increase in pay of $15,000 more in base salary per-year, but no deal has been officially signed.