David Ragland’s Surprise Contract Extension: What’s Next for Evansville Basketball?

When a coach sticks around in a place that’s been tough to build, it tells you something real about commitment and belief. That’s exactly what happened with David Ragland, who’s just inked an extension to stay at the University of Evansville men’s basketball helm. It’s a move that might seem quietly hopeful to some — after all, his record sits at 33-66 over three seasons — but if you peel back the layers, it’s clear the Purple Aces are buying into a vision deeper than just wins and losses. With the program showing glimpses of life, like last season’s eight Missouri Valley Conference wins — their best since 2016 — and fresh talent stepping in to fill the gaps of those who transferred out, Ragland’s got his work cut out for him. Still, the faith from UE’s higher-ups, and the coach’s heartfelt connection to this community that raised him, makes you wonder if this is finally the chapter where everything clicks. This isn’t just a contract extension — it’s a declaration of intent to bring Purple Aces basketball back to its rightful place. LEARN MORE.Ragland, a graduate of Harrison High School, played in college for Missouri Southern and Southern Indiana. After getting his head coaching start at Vincennes from 2008-10, he spent several seasons as a Division I assistant. His previous stops include Indiana State, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, Valparaiso, Utah State and Butler.MVC defensive player of the year Connor Turnbull and Joshua Hughes are UE’s lone returning starters.Ragland has a 33-66 record across three seasons with Evansville.

The deal was announced by school administration on Wednesday afternoon. The terms and length of the deal are unknown ― UE is a private institution and not required to release financials. It is believed Ragland had two more years on the original deal he signed once becoming the Purple Aces’ coach in 2022.

The Aces went 11-21 last season and finished eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Their eight MVC victories were the most for the program since 2016. This followed a 17-18 campaign the previous year, a 12-win improvement from year one.

UE had eight players enter the transfer portal after the season, including key contributors Tayshawn Comer (Nevada), Gabriel Pozzato (Xavier), Tanner Cuff (Hawaii) and Cam Haffner (Western Kentucky). The Aces have signed a trio of newcomers in recent weeks: AJ Casey, a 6-9 forward from Saint Louis; Keishon Porter, a 6-5 guard from North Carolina Central; and Marlon Barnes Jr., a 6-6 guard from Pittsburgh.

EVANSVILLE — David Ragland signed a contract extension to remain the University of Evansville men’s basketball coach.”I want to thank President Pietruszkiewicz and Dr. Siegfried for their belief in my leadership of our basketball program,” Ragland said in a statement.  “I am honored to serve as the head coach at the University of Evansville. My family and I love being back home in this wonderful community. It is a true blessing to be aligned with the leader of our athletic programs along with the leader of our University.”

“Coach Ragland is someone who does things the right way, on and off the court,” UE athletic director Ziggy Siegfried said. “This extension is a reflection of our confidence in his vision, and more importantly, in our shared belief that we can win at Evansville. We are committed to doing the work together to return Purple Aces basketball to a level of excellence our fans and alumni proudly remember and deeply believe in.”