Carly Thibault-DuDonis Signs Contract Extension as Women’s Basketball Head Coach

Coach Carly will lead the Stags into the NCAA Championship First Round on Saturday at Indiana.

Fairfield Women's Basketball Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis has signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season. Coach Carly has been at the helm for a historic season of the Fairfield Women's Basketball program, which includes the 2024 MAAC Championship, the team's first-ever AP Top 25 ranking, and an upcoming trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"Fairfield has become our home, and the people here have become our family," said Thibault-DuDonis. "This place is incredibly special, starting with the passionate, caring, and driven people that come together to strive for excellence. This can be and is becoming one of the elite women's basketball schools in the country, and we've been able to prove that to be true in the last few years. I'm grateful to Dr. Nemec, Paul Schlickmann, and our entire administration for believing in me, supporting our staff and student-athletes every step of the way, and for entrusting me with this program going forward. This season has been exciting and record-breaking in so many ways, and while we aren't done yet, we are thrilled about what lies ahead for Fairfield Women's Basketball.  This is only the beginning, I'm here to stay!"

Fairfield's success has been highlighted by a 31-1 overall record and the second-highest winning percentage in the nation at .969. The Stags have also enjoyed a 29-game winning streak, which is the longest in program and MAAC history.

"We are elated to announce this extension for Coach Carly on the heels of a historic season of unprecedented success for Fairfield Women's Basketball," said Vice President for Athletics Paul Schlickmann. "In just two short years, Coach Carly and her staff have done an exceptional job of elevating our program to one of national prominence.  She is an elite coach, an inspirational leader and a passionate mentor of young women. Coach Carly is a highly effective relationship and community builder who has become an invaluable member of our Stags family. We share the vision and values necessary to build a model Division I Women's Basketball program and I look forward to the journey ahead with Carly and her team."

In her second season at the helm, Coach Carly has elevated the Stags into the national conversation. Fairfield has been ranked #25 by the Associated Press in each of the last two weeks, becoming just the fourth MAAC team to be ranked nationally. Fairfield is also receiving votes in the most recent USA Today Coaches' Poll and ranks fourth in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

"We are thrilled that Carly Thibault-DuDonis has extended her commitment to lead our women's basketball program to continued new heights," said University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD. "In just two seasons as head coach, Carly has developed a level of collective performance and team culture that reflects her unique ability to achieve success against strong levels of competition, while maintaining a keen eye on the overall well-being and maturational development of our student-athletes. We are excited for what the future holds with Carly at the helm of our exceptional Women's Basketball program."

Coach Carly and Fairfield Women's Basketball are headed to Bloomington, Ind. this weekend for a Saturday, March 23 clash at Indiana University in the First Round of the NCAA Championship at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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