Southeastern extends women’s basketball coach Guzzardo’s contract through 2023-24

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University has extended the contract of head women’s basketball coach Ayla Guzzardo through the 2023-24 season, Southeastern Director of Athletics Jay Artigues announced on Monday.

The Lady Lions have shown annual improvement under Guzzardo during the Hammond native’s four seasons at the helm of the program. Her 2020-21 squad finished 11-8 overall and 10-5 in Southland Conference play, marking the first overall and conference winning records for SLU since the 2008-09 campaign.

Southeastern’s league mark was good for a second-place finish in the conference standings and a berth in the conference tournament semifinals – the program’s best-ever showing since joining the Southland Conference prior to the 1997-98 campaign. This coming season, the Lady Lions will return 10 letterwinners, including its top seven scorers and all five starters from their successful 2020-21 campaign.

“Ayla’s done a tremendous job in her short time here at Southeastern,” Artigues commented. “She’s turned our women’s basketball program into a conference contender. Not only have her players getting it done on the court, but in the classroom and in the community they’re exemplifying what we’re expecting from our student-athletes. Ayla is probably the best role model we can provide for our Lady Lions.”

Guzzardo is excited to continue her work at her hometown university.

“I’m extremely grateful to be able to lead our program for an additional three years,” Guzzardo commented. “This is home for me and we want to bring Southland Conference championships to Hammond. We have everything in place – from the talent on the court to the support and resources provided by our administration – to reach our goal.”

SLU will open its 2021-22 schedule in early November.