McNeese hires Southeastern’s Ayla Guzzardo to be women’s basketball head coach

HAMMOND (WGNO) – Ayla Guzzardo finished her best season in Hammond, America, this year. Southeastern’s 2025 campaign went down in the Lady Lion record books.

SLU finished the regular season 19-1 in league play, which tied a Southland conference record. Those conference victories were also part of 19-game consecutive victories: The longest win streak in program history, and Southeastern earned its second regular season conference title in the last three years.

Despite all the success though, Guzzardo will leave her hometown, after eight season at the helm. McNeese State University announced Saturday morning, the school hired Southeastern’s head coach to take over its program.

The Cowgirls have not had a winning season since 2016 and ended 2025 campaign 10-21 overall.

Guzzardo will leave a historic shoe for the next head coach to fill. The Hammond native became the first head coach in program history to earn Southland Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2023 and 2025.

Guzzardo’s first season at Southeastern ended with an 8-21 record, but she leaves her Lady Lions in a dominant state. SLU finished 2025 26-6 overall.

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