Ahead of Notre Dame’s season opener, CJ Carr’s QB coach at the Fighting Irish, Gino Guidugli, lost his father. Yesterday, Guidugli, who has been an important part of Marcus Freeman’s staff at South Bend, talked to the media about the legacy his father left.
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“I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without my dad,” Guidugli said about his father, David Guidugli, on September 10, fighting back tears. “He means everything to me. It’s going to be a huge void. He influenced a lot of people outside of just me as a personal trainer and a teacher. He was a football coach.”
“There have been countless texts, emails, and direct messages that I’ve got. Some people I know. Some people I don’t know. About how he impacted their lives. That kind of speaks to the legacy he’s left.”
On September 5, the QB coach took to X and announced his father’s death, writing, “Thank you for the sacrifices, the laughs, the tough love, for the lives you made better along the way, and most of all, for being our father.”
The Irish didn’t disclose the cause of the death. As per reports, David Guidugli died on September 5 in Kentucky. He was 77. The family held a visitation on September 10 at a church in Newport, Kentucky.
An obituary on DWI Funeral Home’s website describes David Guidugli as someone who was “larger than life, with a big heart that matched his generous spirit.”
“He loved to dance, attended all kinds of sporting events, loved boxing, and was a faithful supporter at his sons’ and grandchildren’s sporting events,” the obituary read.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, David Guidugli graduated from Newport Central Catholic in 1966. Early on in his career, David served as a teacher at various schools in the region, teaching special education, geography, and history.
However, years before he began teaching, David Guidugli was introduced to football. He played defensive end for the Northern Kentucky Raiders. That also explains why Gino Guidugli took to football early in his life.
Of his four sons (Gino, Ben, Tony, and Bay), two went on to play football for Cincinnati. Gino Guidugli played quarterback for the Bearcats from 2001 to 2004. He is still recognized as one of the best QBs to don Cincinnati colors. On the other hand, Ben also joined the Bearcats in 2007 and played until 2010.
And while his sons built their own legacies after being inspired by their father’s love for the game, David’s legacy is also imprinted on thousands of students whom he encountered in his career.
“I have trained athletes from Hall-of-Famers to small kids with bright futures. I love people, and most people love me,” David Guidugli said in 2018. “I am a positive influence on people’s lives. I like to help people become successful and become the best version of themselves.”
According to Clif Marshall, a trainer who works with D1 athletes, David trained thousands of athletes during his career. The list includes prominent names like basketball legend Larry Bird.