Lou Gudino - Men's Basketball Coach - Ball State University Athletics

Lou Gudino

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
lou.gudino@bsu.edu

Lou Gudino wrapped up his third season with the Cardinals in 2024-25 as an associate head coach after he joined the coaching staff in April of 2022.

Gudino coaches the big men at Ball State including Payton Sparks, who was named Honorable Mention All-MAC at the end of the 2024-25 season for his third time with a conference postseason recognition in three years. Sparks wrapped up his collegiate career on the list of many career categories in the Ball State record book, ranking 23^rd in career points (1,220) in Ball State history, 9^th in rebounding (771), 10^th in blocks (64), 5^th in free throws made (387) and 3^rd in field goal percentage (.568).

During the 2022-23 campaign, Gudino helped the Cardinals achieve their best start, 16-7, since the 1999-2000 season. He aided in the Ball State 17-7 which was the best start since 1997-98, when that team started 21-7. Gudino worked closely with Sparks, who earned an All-MAC Second Team honor. Sparks finished tied for 55th in the NCAA with 10 double-doubles. Gudino helped Sparks increase his shooting percentage as well as his rebounding during his sophomore season.

Gudino is a 26-year coaching veteran with stops at New Mexico State, Indiana State, Louisiana Tech, and most recently, Wichita State. He spent the last four seasons at Wichita State, and last season served as the associate head coach. While with the Shockers, Gudino helped coach six all-conference selections, including the Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth-Man of the Year and Co-Player of the Year.

Gudino helped Wichita State reach the NIT semifinals in his first season in 2018-19. During the 2019-20 season, he aided in one of the best starts the Shockers have seen with a 15-1 mark, which saw the squad ranked in national polls for six weeks. The 2020-21 Shockers won their first American Athletic Conference regular season title and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Sophomore Tyson Etienne was conference co-player of the year and point guard Alterique Gilbert was named all-conference. Etienne signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks. Gudino also coached Jaime Echenique, who played for the Wizards last season.

In his lone season with New Mexico State, the Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference Championship, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. He helped guide the Aggies to a 28-6 record, the 2018 Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He coached Jemerrio Jones, the nation’s second leading rebounder (13.2), to a WAC Player of the Year and an honorable mention AP All-American honor. Jones played 2018-19 wiht the L.A. Lakers and Zach Lofton played for the Detroit Pistons in 2018.

While at Indiana State, the Sycamores made five consecutive postseason trips, highlighted by a 2011 NCAA Tournament appearance and back-to-back NIT bids in 2013 and 2014. Gudino served as Indiana State’s associate head coach. During his Terre Haute tenure, he coached eight All-MVC honorees, including three-time first team selection Jake Odum (2012, 2013 & 2014). Brenton Scott was the 2015 MVC Freshman of the Year and all-conference in 2016 and 2017.

Gudino spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech (2005-07) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The Bulldogs posted a 20-13 record his first season and went 11-5 in WAC play on their way to an NIT bid. He coached Paul millsap, who went on to play 16 years in the NBA and was a four-time NBA All-Star.

Before making the jump to Division I, Gudino was the head coach at Frank Phillips Junior College (2003-05). During his two seasons in Borger, Texas, he compiled a 42-18 overall record after inheriting a team that won just seven games. By the end of his second season with the Plainsmen, Frank Phillips JC captured the program's first-ever Western Junior College Athletic Conference title and a No. 16 national ranking. The 26-4 mark in 2004-05 also earned Gudino WJCAC Coach of the Year honors.

Gudino, a graduate of South Vermillion High School in Clinton, Indiana, is no stranger to Indiana basketball. Gudino earned his bachelor's degree in financial management from Indiana in 1997 and received his master's in sports management from Incarnate Word in 2003. He played two seasons at Spalding University.

Gudino is married to his wife Dana.