Gino Guidugli (guh-DOO-lee) has been named the Bob and Leslie Mohr Family Quarterbacks Coach at the University of Notre Dame. Guidugli spent the 2022 season as the Cincinnati offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before moving to Wisconsin as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in January of 2023. He reunites with Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman after the two served together on the Bearcat coaching staff from 2017-20.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gino to our program,” said Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman. “I have seen firsthand his talent in developing quarterbacks and teaching them how to consistently perform at an elite level in college and go on to have success in the NFL. He also brings a lot of experience in helping guide an offense to execute at a high level. He is a great addition to our staff.”
Guidugli brings 12 total years of coaching experience with him to the Fighting Irish staff, including four years as a passing game coordinator and quarterback coach. In his time as an offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati (2018-22), the Bearcats completed over 60 percent of their passes for 14,317 yards and 116 touchdowns.
A key component of the Cincinnati success during that time was the development of eventual third-round NFL draft pick Desmond Ridder. A back-to-back American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, Ridder led the Bearcats to a 13-0 regular season in 2021, as well as the AAC Championship and a College Football Playoff Semifinal appearance. Under Giudugli’s guidance, Ridder won the third-most games in FBS history (44) and finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in yards (10,239) and touchdown passes (87). Ironically, most of the Cincinnati records Ridder surpassed were Guidugli’s own numbers he compiled during his remarkable playing career with the Bearcats.
A charter member of the Nippert Stadium Ring of Honor (2005), Guidugli led Cincinnati to three bowl berths during his four-year career from 2001-05, earning two team MVP awards, a Freshman All-America selection and he was named a three-time Conference USA Scholar-Athlete. He finished his career at Cincinnati as the only quarterback to throw for 3,500 or more yards in a season and posted 14 career 300-yard passing games.
Guidugli spent some time on the Tennessee Titans roster in 2005 and played professionally in the Canadian Football League and the American Football League, before joining the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan from 2009-11.
He moved up to become CMU’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2013-15, then to offensive coordinator in 2016 and helped the Chippewas average nearly six yards a play and 400 total yards per game, while earning a berth in the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl.
Recognized as one of the up-and-coming talents in the collegiate coaching ranks, Guidugli was selected to participate in the 2019 American Football Coaches Association Under-35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
Guidugli returned to his alma mater for the 2017 season as running backs coach. He shifted to
quarterbacks in 2018 and then added on the passing game coordinator title in March of 2020. His time on the Cincinnati staff included a 9-1 Peach Bowl campaign in 2020, a 13-0 run to the CFB Playoffs at the Cotton Bowl in 2021 and back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019.
In 2021 UC set the school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (516) and ranked second in the AAC and 11th nationally in scoring (36.5). That ‘21 campaign followed up on the 2020 team that ranked 15th in scoring offense, 18th in team pass efficiency and 19th in total offense.
Guidugli earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Cincinnati in 2005 and his master’s degree in sport administration from Central Michigan in 2012.
The Fort Thomas, Kentucky, native was a standout basketball and football player at powerhouse Highlands High School and was part of three state championship football teams. He still ranks in the KHSAA record books as one of the top QBs in the state’s history.
He and his wife, Michelle, have four children – sons, Ryland and Ezra and daughters Willow and Oakley. Guidugli has three brothers, Ben, Tony and Jeff. Ben played football at Cincinnati from 2007-10 and was a key part of two conference championship teams and later played in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams. Jeff also played college football at Southeastern Louisiana.
THE GUIDUGLI FILE
- Name: Gino Guidugli (pronounced guh-DOO-lee)
- Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky
- High School: Highlands High School
- Education: Cincinnati (2005, B.S.); Central Michigan (2012, M.S.)
- Wife: Michelle
- Children: Ryland, Ezra, Willow
PLAYING CAREER
- 2001-04 Cincinnati (Quarterback)
- 2005 Tennessee Titans (Quarterback)
- 2007 British Columbia Lions (CFL), Green Bay Blizzard (AFL2) (Quarterback)
- 2008 British Columbia Lions (CFL), New York Dragons (AFL) (Quarterback)
- 2009 Green Bay Blizzard (AFL2) (Quarterback)
- 2012 Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) (Quarterback)
COACHING CAREER
- 2010-12 Central Michigan Graduate Assistant
- 2013-15 Central Michigan Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
- 2016 Central Michigan Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- 2017 Cincinnati Running Backs
- 2018-19 Cincinnati Quarterbacks
- 2020-21 Cincinnati Passing Game Coordinator/QBs
- 2022 Cincinnati Offensive Coordinator/QBs
BOWLS COACHED IN
- 2014 Central Michigan (Bahamas)
- 2015 Central Michigan (Quick Lane)
- 2016 Central Michigan (Miami Beach)
- 2018 Cincinnati (Military)
- 2019 Cincinnati (Birmingham)
- 2020 Cincinnati (Peach)
- 2021 Cincinnati (Cotton/CFP Semifinal)
- 2022 Cincinnati (Fenway Bowl)