HOPEWELL, N.J. – Fairfield University Women's Basketball Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis was one of 20 selections nationwide on the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List, presented by Her Hoops Stats. Coach Carly was the unanimous Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year last season after leading the Stags to an historic 31-win season culminating in a MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. She was also one of five finalists for the Mid-Major Coach of the Year award last season.
 
"I'm very humbled to be included on this list with so many fantastic coaches, but none of the personal accolades I achieve are done without my staff and this remarkable group of young women," Coach Carly said. "I'm thankful that our hard work is getting recognized as we continue to build this program into one of the most competitive women's basketball programs in the country."
 
Under Thibault-DuDonis' leadership the Stags experienced one of the best seasons in conference history with a 31-2 overall record which featured a 29-game winning streak, the second-longest in the nation. The Stags cracked the Associated Press (AP) Top-25 poll for the first time in program history and finished in the top-five in the College Insider Mid-Major poll.
 
Coach Carly introduced seven newcomers to last year's MAAC Championship team that became one of the best all-around teams in the country. The squad netted 2,391 points last season, the second-most in program history. On the defensive side, the Stags held opponents to just 55.2 points per game which ranked in the top-10 in Division I.
 
For all the team's success, Coach Carly was the unanimous selection for the MAAC Coach of the Year and also was named the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year, an award presented to the coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.
 
Entering her third season, Coach Carly ranks in the top-40 in the nation among active coaches with a .730 winning percentage. The Stags were also the unanimous top pick in the MAAC Preseason Poll, receiving all 13 first-place votes.
 
The Stags will begin their season at Arkansas on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7:30pm.