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"Swimming for Coach Culp was more frustrating than rewarding. While he was easy to get along with outside of practice and competition, that personality did not translate into competent leadership on the pool deck. Post-race feedback ranged from minimal to nonexistent, leaving most athletes to self-reflect on their own. Workouts prioritized high yardage with little emphasis on stroke refinement, race strategy, or individualized development. Intervals were almost never adjusted according to stroke group or sex, resulting in a one-size-fits-all training method. Year-in and year-out, shoulder injuries run rampant throughout the season. Practices felt repetitive, predictable, and oftentimes seemed to lack any sort of true “objective”. Each season felt focused on grinding through the same sets as the year prior, rather than adjusting each year as the team continued to evolve. There was little evidence of adaptation, creativity, or long-term planning. Athlete retention and recruiting consistently lagged behind the rest of the conference. While other schools further developed standout swimmers, and cultivated strong recruiting classes. UWO remained stagnant, and the conference standings reflected the continually growing gap between the Titans and the rest of the WIAC. Any sort of team culture was built and sustained by the athletes themselves, and it stayed strong in spite of the coaching structure, not because of it. The most frustrating thing was the unwillingness to recognize or address these patterns. As the rest of the WIAC continued to adapt, and seek new methods to develop their team in pursuit of higher conference standing, we were always told “not to worry” about what the rest of the conference was doing Without significant changes in philosophy, structure, and accountability, it is hard for me to imagine the men’s program making any significant strides towards future success."

"Awful-Toxic. Start of this season 4-7. No one knows who is starting or playing until game. "

"Coach Ghilardi is not the same person that recruited you once freshman season begins. It is clear from the beginning she will pick favorites and they will do no wrong in her eyes. Her “favorites” could make a mistake during a game and not be pulled out, however a “non-favorite” could make that same mistake and would immediately be pulled from the game. She will talk about players behind their back and put them against one another. It does not make for a cohesive team as you can see from the previous year’s records. The environment created comes from the top down and if all players do not feel valued, there is no way to create a winning team. She is on her third assistant coach in just a matter of a few years. She is very good at robbing you from the joy of lacrosse. Should a player have the unfortunate experience of having a medical issue or injury, you immediately become of no value to her. The support is not there and there is no opportunity to feel valued from that point on. Should a player ask how they can improve, she will not provide you with a direct answer. Coach cuts players and does not stay committed to them once on the team. But, good news, she will offer you a role as team manager as a consolation prize, leaving you with biggest insult of all. "

"This coach is a mental mindf*ck. She is delusional and probably bipolar. Each day we are trying to gauge what her mental state is so we can prepare for practice. She often comes into practice calling us her “friends” and then on the flip of a switch is screaming and harping on random point that doesn’t really have to do with anything but it’s what she’s fixated on that day, tells us we don’t buy in, and using profanity that is extreme and offensive. She plays favorites and will continue to play them even when they don’t produce. She will not play people simply because she doesn’t like them. She has a list and if you are on it you are screwed. You are either crying in her office because it is so extremely uncomfortable or she is gossiping with you, especially about other players. Overall I will say she is very organized and good at communicating through emails about practice times and stuff like that, but she does not know the game of lacrosse and the program being good is not because of Coach. "

"This coach has a complete churn and burn recruitment strategy, retaining less then 40% of her freshman through their senior year over her tenure as Head Coach. Plan on hitting the portal. And if you don't hit the portal, don't count on any player development. This is an authoritarian coach that hides behind a "team family" facade. She substitutes manufactured socialization activities for actual team chemistry. She pathologizes questions about playing time, has no clear metrics for meritoriously earning a spot on the team. There is more emphasis on "energy" and "communication" than softball mechanics. The energy and communication boils down to serving as good cheerleaders for the players she puts on the field, who coincidentally are those who most vocally and faithfully echo her every misguided sentiments. The athletes have no autonomy, micromanaged with 40 defensive plays transmitted on digital devices that substitute detailed instruction for critical thinking. She maxes her on-field conferences in nearly 50% of the games, with 25% of her games being double conference innings. Her game times are consistent anomalies as she spends more time on the field weaponizing the rule book, presumably because she has to win on procedure and not skill. Freshman rarely make it to graduation, but the year over-year annual retention rates hover around 60%. Portal players are prioritized over homegrown players and inexperienced (eager to please) freshman play over tenured players who have developed a voice and opinion on play. In 2026 Guthrie has consistently started 6 players who are new to UIS this season, 3 freshman and 3 transfers. While athletes were have previously earned All-Conference honors in those positions now sit on the bench. This environment does not embody the "Life in Balance" approach in the NCAA DII Strategic Plan, and I would not recommend this coach to my worst enemy."