Two-time Southland Conference champion and two-time league Coach of the Year, Ayla Guzzardo, was introduce to lead the McNeese Cowgirls into its new era of basketball on March 24, 2025.
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Guzzardo spent the last eight seasons as the head coach at Southeastern where she guided the Lady Lions to two of the last three Southland Conference championships, including this season when her team steam-rolled through league play with a 19-1 record.
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The two-time SLC Coach of the Year (2023 and 2025) guided the Lady Lions to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the 2025 WBIT. Her Lady Lions reached the semifinals of the Southland Tournament in each of the last five seasons.Â
She enters the 2025-26 season with a 122-105 record overall, and an 87-54 mark in Southland play.
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A 2010 graduate of Akron University, she began her coaching career at her Alma Mater where she was on staff for four years before returning to her hometown of Hammond to coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High where she helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2014-15 Top 28 which was played in Lake Charles at the time.
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She joined the Southeastern staff in 2016-17 as the top assistant coach before being elevated to head coach for the 2017-18 season.
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Guzzardo has three children – Cameron, Madden and Lumen.
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AYLA GUZZARDO FILE
College Coaching Experience
2026-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Head Coach (McNeese)
2018-25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Head Coach (Southeastern)Â
2016-17Â Â Â Â Â Assistant Coach (Southeastern)Â
2011-14Â Â Â Â Â Assistant Coach (Akron)
YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COACHING RESULTS
| YEAR |
SCHOOL |
OVERALL RECORD |
SLC RECORD |
SLC FINISH |
SLC TOURN. FINISH |
POSTSEASON |
HONOR |
| 2017-18 |
Southeastern |
      8-21 |
    7-11 |
   9th |
|
|
|
| 2018-19 |
Southeastern |
      9-20 |
    4-14 |
   13th |
|
|
|
| 2019-20 |
Southeastern |
     12-17 |
    9-11 |
   8th |
No Tourn.-COVID |
|
|
| 2020-21 |
Southeastern |
     11-8 |
   10-5 |
   2nd |
Semifinals |
|
|
| 2021-22 |
Southeastern |
     16-11 |
   10-4 |
   3rd |
Runners-Up |
|
|
| 2022-23 |
Southeastern |
     21-10 |
   14-4 |
   1st |
Champs |
NCAA Tourn. |
SLC Coach of the Year |
| 2023-24 |
Southeastern |
     19-12 |
   14-4 |
  T-2nd |
Semifinals |
|
|
| 2024-25 |
Southeastern |
     26-6 |
   19-1 |
  1st |
Runners-Up |
WBIT |
SLC Coach of the Year |
| Â 8 YRS |
|
   122-105 |
   87-54 |
|
|
|
|
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