ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia on Sunday announced Ayla Guzzardo, who led McNeese State to a school-record 29 wins this season, has been hired as the Lady Bulldogs basketball coach.
The move announced by athletic director Josh Brooks came only one day after Georgia announced it had reached a mutual decision to part ways with Katie Abrahamson-Henderson after four seasons.
In her first season at McNeese State, Guzzardo led a 19-win improvement for the Cowgirls, who finished 29-6. McNeese State lost to Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference Tournament final after winning the regular-season conference championship.
Guzzardo spent one season at McNeese State after three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana. She guided the Lions to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and a pair of Southland Conference titles.
Brooks said the addition of Guzzardo as only the fourth full-time coach in the program's history is “a great day for our women’s basketball program.”
“When looking for the next head coach, our goal was to find someone who would connect with our fans, support our student-athletes and continue to build on the proud tradition of Lady Bulldog basketball,” Brooks said in a statement released by Georgia. "Ayla’s passion is unmatched. She is a proven winner and someone our fans will love following. We can’t wait for her to get started.”
Guzzardo thanked McNeese State “for all your love and support during our time with you” and said she hoped to take advantage of the tradition of the Georgia program that began in Andy Landers' 36-year run as coach.
“Georgia is a special program that helped lay the foundation for the success of our sport,” Guzzardo said in a statement. “From Coach Landers to our great alumni and our passionate fan base, Lady Bulldog basketball has a storied history and is set up for continued excellence moving forward.”
Landers retired in 2015 after leading the Lady Bulldogs to 31 NCAA Tournaments. He took Georgia to five Final Fours and two national championship game appearances.
Georgia finished 22-10 this season, with an 82-73 overtime loss to Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Abrahamson-Henderson compiled a 69-59 record in four seasons, with only one finish above .500 in Southeastern Conference games.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
