SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Bianca Ziemann enters her first season as an assistant coach at Santa Clara in 2014-15. She spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Oregon. Ziemann first joined the Ducks for the 2012-13 season after accumulating four seasons of coaching experience at the collegiate and high school levels since playing professionally in Europe.
"I chose Santa Clara University for a number of reasons. First and foremost I was given an opportunity of a lifetime to work with and JR Payne and Toriano Towns. I had the pleasure of working with them both early on in my career and I was hoping our paths would cross again. Indeed they did! I have the utmost respect for not only their knowledge of the game but also as human beings.
Santa Clara has a rich Jesuit philosophy, which I am very familiar with, being that I am a graduate from Loyola Marymount University. I support and believe the Jesuit philosophy of the whole person encompassing the mind, body and spirit. I am truly excited to be surrounded by a University and Athletic Department that has this as their mission statement!
Lastly, I chose Santa Clara because being the West Coast Conference student athlete I was years ago I truly have a soft spot for the West Coast Conference. I 100% believe that we can turn this program around and create a winning culture on the court and in the classroom. "
"Bianca is an incredible boost to our coaching staff," said Santa Clara head coach JR Payne. "She is energetic and passionate and genuinely loves the WCC. She was our first hire at Southern Utah and again our first hire here at Santa Clara. I believe in Bianca and her abilities to help us get to the next level and couldn't be more thrilled that she's decided to join us again."
Ziemann was a four-year letterwinner at Loyola Marymount (2002-06), where she served as team captain her junior and senior seasons. She helped lead the Lions to the West Coast Conference Championship and an NCAA tournament berth in 2004.
Upon the completion of her collegiate career, she played professionally in the Netherlands with Amazone Women's Basketball during the 2006-07 season. She was the starting point guard on a team that advanced to the semifinals of the Dutch Championships.
She returned to LMU for the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach, aiding in the development of the team's guards in addition to all aspects of the school's recruiting efforts. She also was responsible for the program's community outreach, special events, clinics and summer camps, in addition to coordinating the team's video exchange operations.
Prior to her year coaching at her alma mater, Ziemann spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Southern Utah (2009-11), coordinating all areas of recruiting for the Thunderbirds while contributing to on-court practices and game-day strategies. While in Cedar City, Utah, Ziemann mentored three all-conference selections and assisted with a program that posted 16 wins her final year - the most victories at SUU in seven years.
Ziemann gained her start in the coaching ranks at the high school level, serving as an assistant coach for one season (2008-09) at Edison HS in Huntington Beach, Calif. The Chargers claimed the Sunset League championship and a CIF runner-up finish before reaching the quarterfinals in the state playoffs. Ziemann tutored three all-league guards, including one who earned league MVP honors.
During the final three months of her high school tenure, she also served as an assistant coach with the Swish Black basketball club team in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Ziemann earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount in business management, as well as a minor in economics, in May of 2006.