Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
- Email:
- glazo@athletics.msstate.edu
Gabe Lazo joined head coach Sam Purcell and the Mississippi State women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach in March of 2022. Lazo arrived in Starkville following stints as an assistant coach at George Washington, Stony Brook, Florida International and a three-year run as the head coach at John A. Ferguson High School in Miami.
In his first season in Starkville, Lazo helped guide the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year hiatus. Mississippi State entered the 2023 tournament as a No. 11 seed and in the First Four play-in game where they defeated follow 11-seed Illinois before defeating No. 6 seed Creighton to advance to the Second Round and becoming the first team in NCAA Women’s Basketball history to advance to the Second Round after starting in the First Four.
On their way to winning 22 games in season one at MSU, Lazo and the Bulldog staff assisted in the development of a pair of All-SEC selections, Jessika Carter and Debreasha Powe. Lazo helped guide Carter to a career season, including setting career bests in points scored (458), blocked shots (65) and assists (42) while also earning All-SEC Second Team honors and SEC All-Defensive Team honors. He also coached Debreasha Powe to SEC All-Freshmen team after a promising rookie campaign.
Despite missing the majority of the recruiting season, Lazo helped sign the nation's 16th-ranked recruiting class, and the second-best class in program history. The 2023 class featured one espnW top 50 recruit, two additional top 100 recruits, and a junior college All-American.
Lazo, a native of Miami, Fla., joined Coach Purcell's staff after spending three seasons with Coach Caroline McCombs at George Washington University and Stony Brook University. In his lone season with the Colonials, Lazo helped lay the foundation for a program turnaround as GW saw a four-win improvement from the 2020-21 season to the 2021-22 season.
"Gabe Lazo is a great addition to my staff here at Mississippi State and the community of Starkville," Coach Purcell said. "As I finish up helping guide Louisville to the Final Four, it's important that I have the right people in place in Starkville so that we can get to work recruiting the best talent in the country, and Coach Lazo fits that mold perfectly. Gabe brings an unbelievable work ethic and great energy to my staff. He has developed players at every level of basketball and has built key relationships with people all around the world. Those relationships that he has built at the AAU and high school levels and those at the college level will allow us to recruit the best student-athletes to Mississippi State."
Lazo was on staff for two of the most successful seasons in Stony Brook history. He helped lead the Seawolves to an America East Regular Season Championship in 2020 and a conference tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021, the first in program history. Lazo and the Seawolves were in great possession to make the NCAA Tournament in 2020 with a 28-3 record before covid ended the season.
He assisted in developing five all-conference selections in 2020, including First Team All-American East performer India Pagan. Lazo and the Stoney Brook staff continued to develop their roster in 2021, helping guide McKenzie Bushee to Sixth Player of the Year honors and four additional All-America East honorees.
“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Purcell and be a part of the Mississippi State family,” Coach Lazo said. “Mississippi State is a special place with the expectation to compete at a high level and win championships in the best conference in the country. I can't wait to get to Starkville and get to work. I have heard nothing but amazing things about the community and their love for women’s basketball and that’s something I am really looking forward to being a part of. My commitment to the program, the student-athletes and the community will be felt in everything that I do. I pride myself on building the best relationships and getting the best out of our players. Hail State!”
Prior to his time in New York, Lazo was an assistant coach at Florida International University for two seasons. In his first season with the Panthers in 2017-18, he helped guide FIU to its best record in three seasons, and the most C-USA wins since the school had entered the conference.
Before entering the college ranks, Lazo was the head varsity girls coach at John A. Ferguson High School in Miami. The three-time Miami Herald Dade County Coach of the Year led the Falcons to two-straight Florida State Runner-up finishes and a No. 2 overall Florida state ranking in Class 8A.
Lazo also coached for the Miami Suns of the Nike Girls Elite Youth Basketball League during the summers. His 2014 team earned a top-10 national ranking and was invited to the Nike Nationals Tournament.
Lazo played collegiately at FIU (2004-06) and Barry University (2006-08), earning his bachelor's degree in Education from Barry University. He played professionally with the Cariduros de Fajardo BSN in Puerto Rico.
