Wikipedia

Carly Thibault-DuDonis

Carly Thibault-DuDonis (born July 31, 1991) is the women's basketball coach for Fairfield University since 2022. As a basketball player at Monmouth University, Thibault was named All-Northeast Conference in 2013 and scored 730 points overall. Her 106 career three points were in the top five for the school during 2024. Thibault began her career with Florida State University as their Director of Recruiting Operations during 2013. Throughout the remainder of the 2010s, she held assistant coaching positions with Eastern Michigan University, Mississippi State University and the University of Minnesota.

Carly Thibault-DuDonis
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamFairfield
ConferenceMAAC
Record52–19 (.732)
Biographical details
Born (1991-07-31) July 31, 1991 (age 33)
Omaha, Nebraska
Playing career
2009–2013Monmouth
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2013–2014Florida State (DRO)
2014–2016Eastern Michigan (assistant)
2016–2018Mississippi State (assistant)
2018–2022Minnesota (assistant)
2022–presentFairfield
Head coaching record
Overall52–19 (.732)
Tournaments0–1 (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • MAAC regular season (2023–24)
  • MAAC tournament championship (2024)
Awards
As player:
  • NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2012)
  • All-NEC Third-team (2012)

As coach:

At Minnesota, Thibault-DuDonis was primarily the associate head coach during the 2020s. In January 2022, she was their temporary coach. With Fairfield, her team were first at the 2024 MAAC women's basketball tournament and in the first round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. That year, Thibault-DuDonis was given a Coach of the Year award by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She also was the Kay Yow Award recipient.

Early life and education

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At Omaha, Nebraska, Carly Thibault's birth occurred on July 31, 1991.[1] As a toddler, she started playing basketball.[2] Before she attended middle school, gymnastics was her main interest.[3] She began living in Connecticut during 2003.[4] She was on the Connecticut Storm girls basketball team until 2008.[5][6]

Thibault began her time with East Lyme High School in 2005.[7] That year, she played "in the first round of the CIAC Class L girls' soccer tournament".[8] During 2008, Thibault had injuries to her knee, nose and eye while on their basketball team.[9] Her team reached the championship game of the 2008 Class L Girls Basketball Tournament.[10][11] During the late 2000s, Thibault was with the Rhode island Breakers as part of the Amateur Athletic Union.[12]

In 2009, Thibault began playing basketball at Monmouth University.[13] She was named All-Northeast Conference during 2013.[14] After leaving the team in 2013, she had 254 rebounds and 730 points.[1] Her 166 career three-pointers was in the top five for Monmouth during 2024.[15] Thibault studied sport psychology while at the university.[4]

Career

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Thibault began her women's basketball career in 2013 when she went to Florida State University to work as their Director of Recruiting Operations.[4] With Eastern Michigan University, she became an assistant coach in 2014.[16] She continued her assistant coaching experience after moving to Mississippi State University in 2016.[17] During 2018, Carly Thibault-DuDonis remained as an assistant coach upon joining the University of Minnesota.[18]

While at Minnesota, she became their associate head coach during 2020.[19] Thibault-DuDonis temporarily coached the team in January 2022.[20] During April 2022, she became the head coach at Fairfield University.[21] Her team won 29 straight games, went 20-0 in the MAAC regular season, and won the 2024 MAAC women's basketball tournament.[22] In that year's NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, they reached the first round.[23][24] In addition, her team was ranked #25 in the AP Poll for the last few weeks of the season, marking the first time in Fairfield history the team was ranked in the Top 25.

Honors and personal life

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In 2024, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association gave Coach of the Year awards to Thibault-DuDonis.[25][26] That year, she was the Kay Yow Award recipient.[27] Thibault was married in 2017.[28] She is related to WNBA coaches Mike Thibault and Eric Thibault.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Carly Thibault - Women's Basketball". Monmouth University Athletics. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Riley, Lori (March 8, 2008). "Student of the Game". Hartford Courant. p. C1.
  3. ^ Adamec, Carl (March 20, 2024). "'Women's basketball state'". CT Insider. p. B1.
  4. ^ a b c Riley, Lori (March 30, 2017). "Thibault, Big Name In Connecticut Women's Basketball, Devising Plan To Derail UConn". Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  5. ^ "Connecticut Storm 12 Black". The Day. May 5, 2004. p. sec. Mother's Day Classic p. 8.
  6. ^ "Storm Alumni". Connecticut Storm Basketball. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "Honor Rolls". The Day. December 7, 2005. p. sec. School Honors p. 10.
  8. ^ "EL rolls to victory in opener". The Day. Day Staff Reports. November 8, 2005. p. C3.
  9. ^ Dimauro, Mike (March 9, 2008). "Vikings' Run Is Over". The Day. p. B3.
  10. ^ Schubert, William (March 9, 2008). "Prim (21) Leads Kolbe". Hartford Courant. p. E8.
  11. ^ "2008 Class L Girls Basketball" (PDF). Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Crompton, Karen (April 5, 2009). "Scholarship secondary for EL's Carly Thibault: 'I just wanted to play'". The Day. p. A7.
  13. ^ "Monmouth women fall in tourney". Asbury Park Press. November 28, 2009. p. C5.
  14. ^ "2012-13 NEC Women's Basketball Award Winners" (PDF). Northeast Conference. March 7, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  15. ^ O'Brien, Megan (March 18, 2024). "2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball" (PDF) (Press release). Monmouth University Department of Athletics. p. 4. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Day Staff Reports (May 1, 2014). "Carly Thibault hired at Eastern Michigan". The Day. p. C2.
  17. ^ "Schaefer hires Thibault". The Greenwood Commonwealth. June 7, 2016. p. 7.
  18. ^ Day staff reports (April 24, 2018). "Whalen hires Thibault-DuDonis as assistant at Minnesota". The Day. p. B1.
  19. ^ Souhan, Jim (June 5, 2020). "Couple shares joy of coaching". StarTribune. pp. C1, C4.
  20. ^ Riley, Lori (January 11, 2022). "Situational approach". Hartford Courant. sec. Sports p. 1.
  21. ^ Riley, Lori (April 20, 2022). "'She's been taught well'". Hartford Courant. p. sec. 3 p. 4.
  22. ^ "MAAC Champion Stags Draw Indiana in NCAA Tournament". Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. March 17, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  23. ^ Ambrogi, Mark (March 24, 2024). "Indiana rolls past Fairfield". The Times. Munster, Indiana. Associated Press. p. C4.
  24. ^ "2024 Division I Women's Basketball Official Bracket". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Fairfield Headlines MAAC Women's Basketball Major Awards". Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. March 11, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  26. ^ "All-Time Women's Division I Coaches of the Year". Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. February 6, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Dayton, Kels (April 3, 2024). "Fairfield's Carly Thibault-DuDonis named Kay Yow National Coach of Year". Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  28. ^ DiMauro, Mike (May 9, 2017). "You can never find pause button for Father Time when you need one". The Day. p. C1.
  29. ^ McClain, Buzz (March 29, 2023). "Mystics Coach Eric Thibault Picks Up Where His Dad Left Off". NorthernVirginia. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
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