Gophers women's basketball coach Lindsay Whalen has a coaching position to fill with the news that Carly Thibault-DuDonis has been named head coach of the Fairfield (Conn.) University women's team.

Thibault-DuDonis was a part of Whalen's first coaching staff in the 2018-19 season, hired as an assistant shortly after Whalen accepted the head coaching job. In 2020, DuDonis — who was also the team's recruiting coordinator — was elevated to associate head coach.

Thibault-DuDonis is replacing Joe Frager, who, citing health reasons, retired from the job after 15 seasons.

She is inheriting a winning program. In Frager's final season, Fairfield went 25-7 overall, 19-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and won the MAAC conference tournament championship. Fairfield received a 15th seed in the NCAA tournament, losing its first game to second-seeded Texas.

This will be a homecoming for Thibault-DuDonis, who grew up in East Lyme, Conn., about an hour's drive from Fairfield.

"I am honored to be named the next head women's basketball coach at Fairfield University,'' she said in a Fairfield release. "I cannot wait to get on campus to meet our student-athletes and begin developing relationships with them.''

In four seasons with the Gophers, Thibault-DuDonis was heavily involved in recruiting. Most recently, she was a part of securing the incoming 2022 class, one comprised of four Twin Cities area players that was ranked 10th in the nation by ESPN.

Before coming to the Gophers, Thibault-DuDonis was on the staff at Mississippi State, where the Bulldogs made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game. Her father, Mike Thibault, is the head coach of the WNBA's Washington Mystics.

"I have known coach Carly for roughly 20 years,'' Whalen said in a news release. Whalen began her WNBA career in Connecticut playing for Mike Thibault. "In that time I have seen her grow into an exceptional basketball coach and person. Carly's work ethic, drive and compassion are second to none in this profession. I cannot wait to see all of the success she is going to have at Fairfield.''