Alyssa Gaudio was named the first-ever head women's golf coach at Oakland University on Nov. 22, 2014. Gaudio, a native of Chicago, is a proven winner as a player and young coach.
Oakland shattered eight school records in 2018-19, plus won three tournament titles at the Golden Grizzlies Invitational, Motor City Cup and Dolores Black Falcon Invitational. Maddelyn Zack made program history when she became the first player to ever win an individual league title, becoming the 2019 Horizon League Individual Winner.Â
Gaudio made earned it three consecutive seasons of being named the league's coach of the year in 2017-18. The Golden Grizzlies placed runner-up that season, making it three out of the last four season's Gaudio's team has finished runner-up or champion at the league championship.
In 2016-17 she was named Horizon League Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year after helping the team improve in multiple areas. All of Oakland's top five players improved in stroke average from a season ago and as a team improved its average by five shots. The Golden Grizzlies won the Fort Wayne Spring Classic on April 3 and did not finish lower than fourth-place in a tournament all year. The team also improved by six shots in the Horizon League Tournament.
Gaudio made history in just her second season as she helped lead Oakland to its first ever league title at the 2016 Horizon League Championship which led to the team's first NCAA regional appearance in school history, competing in Shoal Creek, Ala. The 2016 Horizon League Coach of the Year also guided Oakland to a pair of tournament championships at the Golden Grizzlies Invite and the IPFW Spring Invite, while three of her players earned all-league honors.
In her first spring season with the Golden Grizzlies, Gaudio led Oakland to its second-straight runner-up finish at the Horizon League Championship and improved 13 shots from their previous year's score. She coached Elle Nichols to Horizon League Player and Freshman of the Year honors, the first player to earn the awards in program history and the first Horizon League men's or women's history to win both awards in the same season. She also helped Morgan Smith finish runner-up at the Horizon League Championship, the highest individual finish at the league championship. As a team, the Golden Grizzlies set a new 54-hole tournament record with a 906.
Gaudio took over a Chicago State women's golf program in 2013. She immediately made an impact, helping the team finish second at the PGA Minority Championship (May 9-11, 2014). There the Cougars broke their 54-hole scoring record with a mark of 914 and 18-hole scoring record by shooting 298 in the final round. Gaudio led CSU to its first-ever tournament win last year against Division I competition and the Cougars successfully defended that title this year.
She also coordinated strong academic efforts and her team posted a 3.48 grade point average, highest of any women's program at Chicago State. Gaudio improved the team's national ranking from 213 to 186, best in program history.
Prior to coaching at CSU, Gaudio was a NCAA Division III All-American golfer at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. She was a four-year letterwinner that also garnered Academic All-American accolades. Gaudio earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2011 and her master's degree in professional leadership and marketing in June 2013. While attending graduate school, Gaudio served as an assistant coach for the women's golf program.
