Ayla Guzzardo

Ayla Guzzardo
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamGeorgia
ConferenceSEC
Record0–0 (–)
Playing career
2006–2008Shelton State CC
2008–2010Akron
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2010–2014Akron (assistant)
2014–2015Saint Thomas Aquinas HS (assistant)
2016–2017Southeastern Louisiana (assistant)
2017–2025Southeastern Louisiana
2025–2026McNeese
2026–presentGeorgia
Head coaching record
Overall151–111 (.576)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Southland regular season (2023, 2025, 2026)
Southland tournament (2023)
Awards
3× Southland Coach of the Year (2023, 2025, 2026)

Ayla Guzzardo is an American basketball coach and former player. She is currently the head coach of the Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team.

Career

Guzzardo played college basketball at Shelton State Community College and Akron. She began her coaching career in 2010, serving as an assistant coach at Akron. After four seasons at Akron, Guzzardo served as an assistant coach at her high school alma mater, Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 2016, she was hired as an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana. After one season as an assistant, Guzzardo was promoted to head coach.[1] In 2023, she was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year, as she led the Lady Lions to their first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.[2] In eight seasons as Southeastern Louisiana's head coach, Guzzardo compiled a 122–105 overall record.[3] On March 24, 2025, she was named the next head coach at McNeese.[4] In her first season as head coach of the Cowgirls, the team set a program record for overall wins with a 29–6 record and won the Southland regular-season title.[5]

On April 5, 2026, Guzzardo was named the next head coach at Georgia, replacing Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.[6]

Head coaching record

Record table
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Southeastern Louisiana (Southland Conference) (2017–2025)
2017–18 Southeastern Louisiana 8–21 7–11 9th
2018–19 Southeastern Louisiana 9–20 4–14 13th
2019–20 Southeastern Louisiana 12–17 9–11 8th
2020–21 Southeastern Louisiana 11–8 10–5 2nd
2021–22 Southeastern Louisiana 16–11 10–4 3rd
2022–23 Southeastern Louisiana 27–6 19–5 1st NCAA First Round
2023–24 Southeastern Louisiana 19–12 14–4 T–2nd
2024–25 Southeastern Louisiana 26–6 19–1 1st WNIT First Round
Southeastern Louisiana: 122–105 (.537) 87–54 (.617)
McNeese (Southland Conference) (2025–2026)
2025–26 McNeese 29–6 21–1 1st WNIT Second Round
McNeese: 29–6 (.829) 21–1 (.955)
Georgia (Southeastern Conference) (2026–present)
2026–27 Georgia 0–0 0–0
Georgia: 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–)
Total: 151–111 (.576)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "Ayla Guzzardo Named New Southeastern Louisiana Head Women's Basketball Coach". Southeastern Louisiana University Athletics. April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  2. ^ "Southeastern women's basketball makes NCAA tournament as 15 Seed". WBRZ. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  3. ^ Gazzolo, Jim (March 24, 2025). "From foe to friend: Guzzardo becomes new McNeese women's basketball coach". American Press. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  4. ^ Meek, Richard (March 26, 2025). "Guzzardo's decision to leave SLU 'best for my family;' cites McNeese's resources, facilities". AN17.com. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  5. ^ Gazzolo, Jim (April 5, 2026). "One and done". American Press. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  6. ^ "Ayla Guzzardo named next head coach of Georgia women's basketball". ajc. Retrieved April 5, 2026.