TicketsPronounced guh-DOO-lee
Former University of Cincinnati standout quarterback Gino Guidugli was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022. He will continue to coach quarterbacks after mentoring Desmond Ridder to the most prolific career in UC history.
Ridder was the second quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, going in the third round (No. 74 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons.
Guidugli joined the Bearcats football staff in February 2017 as the running backs coach. He moved over to coaching quarterbacks in 2018 and was tabbed as passing game coordinator in March 2020.
Guidugli, a member of UC’s James P. Kelly Sr. Athletics Hall of Fame and a charter member of Nippert Stadium’s Ring of Honor, returned to his alma mater after spending six seasons at Central Michigan.
He was instrumental in the development Ridder, who broke several records while helping lead an offense that was mong the nation’s best the last two years.
Led by Ridder, Cincinnati tallied its first-ever 13-0 regular season in 2021, won its second straight American Athletic Conference Championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
Guidugli has also been part of the 9-1 Peach Bowl campaign in 2020, back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2019 American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
Ridder, the back-to-back AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, a 2021 Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist and 2021 Maxwell Award semifinalist, won the third-most games in FBS history (44).
Ridder developed into the school’s all-time leader in yards and touchdown passes under Guidugli. He also finished his career at UC as the all-time leader in touchdowns (116) and total yards (12,419) in the AAC, breaking Guidugli’s UC records in the process.
In 2021, the Cincinnati offense broke school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (516).
UC ranked second in the AAC and 11th nationally in scoring (36.5) and also led the conference and ranked No. 9 overall in yards per play (6.7). Ridder had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bearcat in 2021, passing for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns
The 2020 offense was also impressive, ranking 19th in total offense, 18th in team passing efficiency and 15th in scoring offense.
Recognized as a premier, up-and-coming coach, Guidugli was selected to participate in the 2019 American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
In 2018, he helped UC to a 10-2 regular-season mark, a six-game improvement over its 2017 record and a berth in the 2018 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO against Virginia Tech. Guidugli guided Ridder, who started 11 games, completed 62.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,359 yards, 19 TDs and adding another 574 yards rushing along with five more scores and was named AAC Rookie of the Year.
He was named CMU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach following the 2016 campaign after previously serving as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He originally joined the Chippewas staff in 2009 as a graduate assistant.
The Chippewas averaged nearly six yards a play and almost 400 yards per game in 2016 on the way to a berth in the Miami Beach Bowl. Guidugli mentored a pair of NFL running backs during his time in Mt. Pleasant, Thomas Rawls and Zurlon Tipton.
He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at CMU from 2009-11, assisting with the wide receivers and defensive scout team.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Guidugli played professionally in the Arena and Canadian Football Leagues. He had two stints with the Green Bay Blizzard of AFL2 in 2007 and 2009. He played for the AFL’s New York Dragons in 2008, the CFL’s British Columbia Lions in 2007 and 2008 before closing out his pro career with the AFL’s Milwaukee Mustangs, passing for 4,872 yards and 86 touchdowns in 2012.
Guidugli led Cincinnati to three bowl berths during his four-year career as a starter, earning the Claude Rost Team MVP award in 2001 and 2004, the MVP of the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, a three-time Conference USA Scholar Athlete and a Freshman All-America selection.
Guidugli held UC’s career records for passing yards (11,453), attempts (1,556), completions (880) and TD passes (78), along with the single-season marks for passing yards (3,543), attempts (472) and completions (258). He is the only signal caller in school history to throw for 3,500 or more yards in a season and had 14 career 300-yard passing games.
He was tabbed for the Nippert Stadium Ring of Honor in 2005 and inducted into the James P. Kelly Sr. UC Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2013.
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 HS 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 three children – sons, Ryland and Ezra and daughter Willow. His brother Ben played 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.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: March 13, 1983
Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Wife: Michelle
Children: Ryland, Ezra, Willow
Education: Cincinnati (2005, B.S.); Central Michigan (2012, M.S.)
Year in Coaching: 13th
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
YEAR: SCHOOL/POSITION
2010: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2011: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2012: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2013: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2014: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2015: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2016: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2017: Central Michigan - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2017: Cincinnati - Running Backs
2018: Cincinnati – Quarterbacks
2019: Cincinnati - Quarterbacks
2020: Cincinnati - Passing Game Coordinator/QBs
2021: Cincinnati - Passing Game Coordinator/QBs
2022: Cincinnati - Offensive Coordinator/QBs
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL/BOWL
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)
BOWLS PLAYED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL/BOWL
2001: Cincinnati - Motor City
2002: Cincinnati - New Orleans
2004: Cincinnati - Fort Worth
Former University of Cincinnati standout quarterback Gino Guidugli was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022. He will continue to coach quarterbacks after mentoring Desmond Ridder to the most prolific career in UC history.
Ridder was the second quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, going in the third round (No. 74 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons.
Guidugli joined the Bearcats football staff in February 2017 as the running backs coach. He moved over to coaching quarterbacks in 2018 and was tabbed as passing game coordinator in March 2020.
Guidugli, a member of UC’s James P. Kelly Sr. Athletics Hall of Fame and a charter member of Nippert Stadium’s Ring of Honor, returned to his alma mater after spending six seasons at Central Michigan.
He was instrumental in the development Ridder, who broke several records while helping lead an offense that was mong the nation’s best the last two years.
Led by Ridder, Cincinnati tallied its first-ever 13-0 regular season in 2021, won its second straight American Athletic Conference Championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
Guidugli has also been part of the 9-1 Peach Bowl campaign in 2020, back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2019 American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
Ridder, the back-to-back AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, a 2021 Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist and 2021 Maxwell Award semifinalist, won the third-most games in FBS history (44).
Ridder developed into the school’s all-time leader in yards and touchdown passes under Guidugli. He also finished his career at UC as the all-time leader in touchdowns (116) and total yards (12,419) in the AAC, breaking Guidugli’s UC records in the process.
In 2021, the Cincinnati offense broke school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (516).
UC ranked second in the AAC and 11th nationally in scoring (36.5) and also led the conference and ranked No. 9 overall in yards per play (6.7). Ridder had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bearcat in 2021, passing for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns
The 2020 offense was also impressive, ranking 19th in total offense, 18th in team passing efficiency and 15th in scoring offense.
Recognized as a premier, up-and-coming coach, Guidugli was selected to participate in the 2019 American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
In 2018, he helped UC to a 10-2 regular-season mark, a six-game improvement over its 2017 record and a berth in the 2018 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO against Virginia Tech. Guidugli guided Ridder, who started 11 games, completed 62.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,359 yards, 19 TDs and adding another 574 yards rushing along with five more scores and was named AAC Rookie of the Year.
He was named CMU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach following the 2016 campaign after previously serving as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He originally joined the Chippewas staff in 2009 as a graduate assistant.
The Chippewas averaged nearly six yards a play and almost 400 yards per game in 2016 on the way to a berth in the Miami Beach Bowl. Guidugli mentored a pair of NFL running backs during his time in Mt. Pleasant, Thomas Rawls and Zurlon Tipton.
He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at CMU from 2009-11, assisting with the wide receivers and defensive scout team.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Guidugli played professionally in the Arena and Canadian Football Leagues. He had two stints with the Green Bay Blizzard of AFL2 in 2007 and 2009. He played for the AFL’s New York Dragons in 2008, the CFL’s British Columbia Lions in 2007 and 2008 before closing out his pro career with the AFL’s Milwaukee Mustangs, passing for 4,872 yards and 86 touchdowns in 2012.
Guidugli led Cincinnati to three bowl berths during his four-year career as a starter, earning the Claude Rost Team MVP award in 2001 and 2004, the MVP of the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl, a three-time Conference USA Scholar Athlete and a Freshman All-America selection.
Guidugli held UC’s career records for passing yards (11,453), attempts (1,556), completions (880) and TD passes (78), along with the single-season marks for passing yards (3,543), attempts (472) and completions (258). He is the only signal caller in school history to throw for 3,500 or more yards in a season and had 14 career 300-yard passing games.
He was tabbed for the Nippert Stadium Ring of Honor in 2005 and inducted into the James P. Kelly Sr. UC Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2013.
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 HS 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 three children – sons, Ryland and Ezra and daughter Willow. His brother Ben played 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.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: March 13, 1983
Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Wife: Michelle
Children: Ryland, Ezra, Willow
Education: Cincinnati (2005, B.S.); Central Michigan (2012, M.S.)
Year in Coaching: 13th
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
YEAR: SCHOOL/POSITION
2010: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2011: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2012: Central Michigan - Graduate Assistant
2013: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2014: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2015: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2016: Central Michigan - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2017: Central Michigan - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2017: Cincinnati - Running Backs
2018: Cincinnati – Quarterbacks
2019: Cincinnati - Quarterbacks
2020: Cincinnati - Passing Game Coordinator/QBs
2021: Cincinnati - Passing Game Coordinator/QBs
2022: Cincinnati - Offensive Coordinator/QBs
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL/BOWL
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)
BOWLS PLAYED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL/BOWL
2001: Cincinnati - Motor City
2002: Cincinnati - New Orleans
2004: Cincinnati - Fort Worth