By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Tennessee at Martin head men’s basketball coach Ryan Ridder has added two members to his staff as he announced Erik Buggs as an assistant coach and Tiel Daniels as the director of basketball operations.
Buggs has been a member of championship squads as a collegiate student-athlete and most recently as a coach at the high school level. Daniels also won a conference championship as a collegiate player and has assistant coaching experience at the junior college level.
Buggs was an integral piece at one of the best high school programs in the country in 2020-21 as he was the associate head coach under two-time NBA champion Mike Miller at Houston High School in Germantown, Tenn. The Mustangs ranked as high as No. 8 in the national prep polls on their way to a 26-3 record and state, sectional, regional and district championships. As the lead assistant at Houston, Buggs handled player development of multiple collegiate prospects while also overseeing academics and college recruitment.
Before his stint at HHS, Buggs also spent time in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. as the head coach at both Kingsbury High School (2018-20) and Memphis Catholic High School (2016-18).
Since 2016, Buggs served as the head coach and recruitment coordinator for Hoop City Basketball Club, an adidas Gauntlet organization based out of Memphis. He established direct relationships with NCAA, NAIA and junior college coaches and successfully placed players at every level of collegiate basketball – most of which went on to enter the NBA Draft pool and sign professional contracts overseas.
Buggs carved out a remarkable collegiate career on the hardwood, as he is the all-time leader in games played (138) while ranking fourth in assists (425) and sixth in steals (157) at Valparaiso University. Playing under head coaches Homer Drew (2008-11) and Bryce Drew (2011-13), Buggs was a part of 95 wins, a pair of Horizon League regular season championships, one Horizon League tournament title and three postseason appearances (2013 NCAA Tournament, 2012 National Invitation Tournament, 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament).
Starting in 122 games during his career, Buggs shined in the biggest moments. He was named Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring a career-high 22 points (on 9-of-13 shooting) with four steals in the championship victory over Wright State. He followed that with 14 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and a career-best five steals against Michigan State in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. That same season, he was also named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team after swiping 55 steals (ranking in the top-10 for a single season in Valparaiso history).
Buggs followed his collegiate days with a professional playing career, spending time in Switzerland and Chile from 2013-16. He helped guide the Club Deportes Universidad Catolica squad to a playoff berth during his tenure in Santiago, Chile.
In high school, Buggs captured all-state honors and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee as a senior at Mitchell High School, helping lead the Tigers to a berth in the state championship game with a 30-5 record. He was a four-time All-Region 16 AA and All-District 16 honoree, garnering Region MVP status as a junior while spending his first three seasons at White Station High School.
Buggs earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Valparaiso in 2013 before obtaining his Master’s degree in education from Memphis in 2020.
“Erik is a young, hungry assistant who has won everywhere he’s been,” Ridder said. “That includes a phenomenal playing career at Valparaiso, played professionally and found success coaching in the high school ranks. He brings a relentless work ethic and will be great with our guys on and off the floor.”
Daniels comes to the Skyhawks from Lincoln Trail College, located in Robinson, Ill. He spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach for the Statesmen. Prior to that, he was a graduate assistant at his alma mater Colorado State University.
Daniels worked under head coach Luke Stuckey at Lincoln Trail, who produced a pair of All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference and All-Region XXIV guards. Dante Combs (12.4 points per game) and Lamar Lillard (10.8 points, team-best 7.0 rebounds per contest) each picked up postseason accolades for the Statesman this past season.
Daniels began his coaching career at Colorado State alongside head coach Larry Eustachy. He worked closely with the frontcourt players, which included All-Mountain West Conference honoree Nico Carvacho, who averaged 9.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Rams.
A Wentzville, Mo. native, Daniels began his playing career at Southern Illinois University. Playing for head coaches Chris Lowery and Barry Hinson, Daniels captured Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honors in 2011-12 after leading the league in blocked shots (1.6 per contest), ranking second in school history for a rookie. He averaged 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while ranking sixth in the MVC with a .567 field goal percentage. He followed that with an injury-riddled 2012-13 campaign where he averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest while converting 60.9 percent of his field goal tries (second-best mark in the MVC).
Daniels played his final two seasons under Eustachy in Fort Collins, Colo., ending his career ranking second on Colorado State’s all-time field goal percentage list (.622). He started in all 66 games he played as a Ram, averaging 7.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per contest. His debut season in 2014-15 was a historical one as Colorado State went 27-7 overall with a 13-5 league mark, owning the Mountain West’s best winning percentage on its way to a National Invitation Tournament berth. The following season, Daniels hauled in five double-doubles and topped the MWC in offensive rebounding with 3.6 boards per outing.
Daniels parlayed that into a professional career as he made stops in Finland, Uruguay and China from 2016-19.
The first Division I signee in Holt High School history, Daniels later earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a minor in media studies from Colorado State in 2016. He followed that with a Master’s degree in adult education and training from Colorado State in 2018.
“Tiel is a guy who I have great respect for,” Ridder said. “He was a high-level Division I basketball player and also played professionally. He has worked his way as a graduate assistant at Colorado State and paid his dues at the junior college ranks. He has absolutely earned this opportunity at the Division I level.”
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information