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.

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

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

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

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

While at Minnesota, she became their associate head coach during 2020. Thibault-DuDonis temporarily coached the team in January 2022. During April 2022, she became the head coach at Fairfield University. Her team were first at the 2024 MAAC women's basketball tournament. In that year's NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, they reached the first round.

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