From Wichita State to Ball State, why associate head coach Lou Gudino came to Muncie

MUNCIE, Ind. — Michael Lewis was a freshman in college when he first met Lou Gudino.

Gudino was coaching a team of incoming freshman at a summer camp. Lewis happened to be on the team. Through different basketball functions, the two stayed in touch throughout their coaching careers.

Gudino graduated from Indiana in 1997, where Lewis played from 1996-2000. Both have a connection to IU coaching legend Bob Knight. Lewis played for Knight and Knight helped Gudino land his first head coaching job at Howard College (1997-99), a junior college just south of Lubbock, Texas.

"We've just stayed in touch through the years through coaching and whatnot," Gudino said of his relationship with Lewis.

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Lewis' and Gudino's paths took them around the country. Gudino moved to Kansas, where he coached at Barton County Community College (1999-00), before going back to Texas to coach at Incarnate Word (2000-03) — where he received his master's degree in sports management — and Frank Phillips Junior College (2003-05).

Gudino then moved up to the Division I ranks, coaching at Louisiana Tech (2005-07), Indiana State (2007-17), New Mexico State (2017-18) and, most recently, Wichita State (2018-2022).

A Clinton, Indiana, native, it's not shocking to see Gudino return to his home state. After all, he spent a decade in Terre Haute, the longest stop in his coaching tenure.

But during Lewis' introductory press conference, one in which Gudino attended and was named Ball State's associate head coach, Lewis said Gudino was interviewing for head coaching positions before accepting a job at Ball State.

So what brought Gudino back to Indiana, particularly Ball State? His family and his belief in Lewis.

"(Lewis) is a winner," Gudino said. "I think he's going to win at a high-level and I was ready for something new. I just believe in his — we just share the same type of philosophy and I know he's going to get it done, so I'm willing to take that risk."

At Wichita State, arguably a more attractive job than Ball State — which hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2000 — Gudino was making $230,000 as an associate head coach, according to Kansas.com. At Ball State, according to his contract obtained through a records request, he will be making $150,000 with the same title.

If Gudino made one thing clear — through both his words and actions — it's that he believes in Lewis' vision. Gudino's track record made him an easy hire for Lewis.

"I’ve known Lou since I was in college and, obviously, throughout our coaching careers we’ve ran across each other, always kept in touch," Lewis said. "I just feel like his experience at a bunch of different places and levels and his connection to the state and also his connection with other places that he’s been is very valuable to what we’re trying to accomplish here at Ball State.

"He has unbelievable relationships across the country, he’s had different levels of success at every spot he’s been and then to be able to get him to come back here to Ball State from Wichita State I think shows his belief in what we can accomplish here.”

Gudino has been successful at just about every stop in his 24-year coaching career.

At Wichita State, helped guide the Shockers to their first American Athletic Conference Championship in 2021 (and NCAA Tournament appearance the same year) along with an NIT semifinal run in 2019. New Mexico State won the Western Athletic Conference and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in his lone season there. Indiana State made the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and appeared in back-to-back NIT bids (2013, 2014). Louisiana Tech earned an NIT bid 2006.

Prior to making the jump to Division I, Gudino was equally as successful at the junior college and high school levels.

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Now, Gudino will try to assist in turning around a Ball State program which has had three postseason appearances — NIT (2002) and CIT (2016, 2017) — over the past 22 years. During his time at Indiana State, he's seen the draw Ball State can have. Gudino wants to return Ball State to the former glory it saw in the 80s and 90s as one of the premiere Mid-American Conference programs.

"We just got to, you know, get a couple more guys on board and get this thing turned in the right direction," Gudino said. "It's not like we're starting from the ground floor, there's been some things put in place, No. 1 being (MAC Freshman of the Year) Payton Sparks.

"I just believe in (Lewis') vision. I know he's a winner. I've won at everywhere I've been, I just think he's going to get it done here and I want to be a part of it."

Ball State isn't completely starting over, though it was left with eight scholarship players after graduating Blake Huggins and seeing Tyler Cochran (Toledo), Miryne Thomas (Kent State) and Luke Brown all enter the transfer portal.

Junior college transfer guard Kaiyem Cleary, who Ball State signed on May 11, is the first player of Ball State's 2022 recruiting class. Like Lewis, Gudino said a large focus of Ball State's recruiting efforts will come within the state of Indiana.

"Your backyard's got to be your primary recruiting pipeline," Gudino said. "And, with that, getting the right guys from the state is going to be able to grow the perception of the program. ... it's hard to get outside of those boundaries right now because, again, it hadn't been in the NCAA Tournament for 20 years. But that's the goal, get back to that tournament and then put Ball State back on the map."

Robby General covers Ball State and East Central Indiana high school sports for The Star Press. Contact him via email at rgeneral@gannett.com or on Twitter @rgeneraljr.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Why former Wichita State associate HC Lou Gudino came to Ball State