Ep. 117 - Building a Championship Culture Through Leadership and Purpose with Carly Thibault-DuDonis

In this episode of the Finding Purpose Podcast, Adam sits down with Carly Thibault-DuDonis—Head Coach of Fairfield University Women's Basketball—for a conversation about leadership, culture, resilience, authenticity, and what it takes to bring out the best in others.

Basketball has been part of Carly's life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the game, playing collegiate basketball at Monmouth University, and learning under accomplished coaches throughout her career all helped shape the leader she is today. But Carly's approach to coaching extends far beyond wins, losses, and what happens on the court.

Together, Adam and Carly explore how great cultures are built through trust, consistency, honest communication, and clearly defined values. Carly shares the principles that guide her personally—joy, truth, and connection—and how those values influence the way she leads her players, develops her staff, and navigates the pressure that comes with coaching at a high level.

They also dive into Fairfield's STAG Standards—Selfless, Tough, Accountable, and Grateful—and why Carly believes developing successful people is more important than simply creating rule followers.

From navigating adversity and learning from different leadership styles to building trust with student-athletes in the changing landscape of college sports, Carly offers an inside look at what it takes to create a program where people feel valued, challenged, and empowered to grow.

At the heart of the conversation is Carly's belief that her purpose is to help other people become the best versions of themselves—and that basketball is simply the vehicle that allows her to do it.

Whether you're a coach, entrepreneur, parent, business leader, athlete, or anyone responsible for bringing people together around a shared mission, this conversation offers powerful lessons on creating culture, leading authentically, and staying grounded in who you are when the pressure is highest.

Carly Thibault-DuDonis is the Head Coach of the Fairfield University Women's Basketball Program and one of the rising leaders in women's college basketball.

Since taking over the program, Carly has helped establish Fairfield as a nationally recognized program while building a culture centered on high standards, accountability, connection, and the development of the whole person.

Before becoming a head coach, Carly developed her leadership philosophy through coaching roles at several collegiate programs, learning from a wide range of accomplished coaches and leadership styles along the way. As a player at Monmouth University, she learned firsthand how to contribute beyond individual statistics, embrace adversity, and become the kind of teammate a coach could trust in any situation.

Today, Carly leads with a philosophy rooted in joy, truth, and connection, using basketball as a platform to help young women discover who they are, develop as leaders, and become the best versions of themselves both on and off the court.

• Growing up in a family deeply connected to basketball

• Finding her own identity within the game

• Learning to contribute beyond talent and individual statistics

• How adversity shapes athletes and leaders

• Lessons learned from both effective and ineffective leadership styles

• Why direct communication builds trust

• The danger of avoiding difficult conversations

• Holding your best performers accountable

• Developing leaders instead of simply naming captains

• Building alignment throughout an entire organization

• Carly's personal values of joy, truth, and connection

• The STAG Standards: Selfless, Tough, Accountable, and Grateful

• Why great leadership creates people—not rule followers

• Building a championship culture through consistency

• Helping young athletes navigate ego, pressure, and priorities

• Creating meaningful relationships with student-athletes

• Leading authentically in the changing landscape of college athletics

• Why culture can still matter more than money

• The importance of community and creating a sense of belonging

• Working alongside her husband as part of the same coaching staff

• Meditation, journaling, exercise, and self-care as leadership tools

• Learning to respond rather than react under pressure

• How basketball became a vehicle for Carly's deeper purpose

• Helping others become the best versions of themselves

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ctbow/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-thibault/

Fairfield University Bio https://fairfieldstags.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/carly-thibault-dudonis/1160

Follow Carly and the Fairfield University Women's Basketball program to stay connected with the team, upcoming games, and the continued growth of the program.

If you're in the Southern Connecticut area, come experience a game at Mahoney Arena and support a group of student-athletes committed to their team, their university, and the surrounding community.

This episode was produced by Claudio, Justin, and the team at Cayivisions.

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