a native of davenport, iowa, siegel played college basketball at the university of iowa and earned varsity letters for three seasons, earning a second-team all-big ten conference honor as a senior in 1941–42. he also played on the school's golf team. after college (and before his brief professional basketball career), siegel served in the united states coast guard during world war ii. he later worked as a factory supervisor in east moline, illinois for 31 years before retiring in 1978.