Blake DuDonis completed his third season at the helm of the UWRF women’s basketball program in 2021-22.
Under DuDonis for the second consecutive season, UWRF progressed both in the WIAC and overall. In 2021-22, the Falcons recorded the most WIAC wins since 2018-19 and the most overall wins since 2017-18 despite playing the 30th toughest schedule in the country. The team also broke the program record for most made three-pointers in a season, totaling 206, which was also the 4th highest mark in WIAC history.
During the 2022 WIAC Tournament, UWRF won a WIAC postseason game for the first time since 2016-17, an 82-79 double overtime thriller at UW-Stevens Point that once saw the Falcons trailing by 18 points. DuDonis also led his team to three victories over teams in the Top-25/receiving votes, including the first win over UW-Oshkosh since 2015-2016, a team who eventually reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Under the guidance of DuDonis, the Falcon offense ranked among the nation's best in several categories, including 7th in fewest turnovers per game and 23rd in three-point percentage. The team also hit 10+ three-pointers in eight games, one of the highest totals in the country.
Forward Macy Nilsen continued her growth after transferring to UWRF prior to 2020-21, earning First Team All-WIAC honors, the first Falcon to do so since 2017-18. Nilsen averaged 14.8 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game, making her one of just three WIAC players to rank in the top-seven in both categories. Senior guard Jenna Zeman made the All-WIAC Honorable Mention team for the second straight season and finished 6th in assists per game.
Academically, the Falcons continue to impress during DuDonis' tenure. The team has had at least a 3.0 combined GPA every semester since his arrival, including a 3.55 GPA in the Fall of 2021, the highest team GPA in over five years.
During DuDonis’ first season in 2019-20, UWRF cracked the top five in both made three-pointers and three-point attempts in the Falcons’ record book. Senior forward Crystal Pearson set career highs in several categories and was named an All-WIAC Honorable Mention.
Despite a condensed 2020-21 schedule due to COVID-19, UWRF increased its scoring average by nearly 17 points per game and earned WIAC wins over UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point for the first time since 2017-18. The Falcons led the league in possessions per 40 minutes and three-pointers made per game, while also finishing 12th in the entire country in fewest turnovers per game. Macy Nilsen and Jenna Zeman were named All-WIAC Honorable Mentions.
DuDonis was named the eighth head coach in UWRF women's basketball history by director of athletics Crystal Lanning on May 1, 2019. He came to River Falls after serving as a national evaluator for Blue Star Basketball, the oldest and largest national evaluation organization in women's basketball, and as an advanced regional scout for the WNBA's Washington Mystics. He has previously served as an assistant women's basketball coach at the University at Buffalo, Gardner-Webb University and Merrimack College.
While at Buffalo, DuDonis helped guide the Bulls to 19 wins and the program's first ever appearance in the WNIT. Overseeing the post unit, he mentored 2nd team All-MAC performer Kristin Sharkey, as well as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year Krista Baccas. He also assisted in the academic advisement of their student-athletes in route to a team GPA of 3.397, the highest in the department that year and highest in program history.
His time at Buffalo followed two seasons at his alma mater, Gardner-Webb University. In his first year, the team increased their win total by nine, one of the largest improvements in the country. During his time there, DuDonis was in charge of the development of Catrina Green who turned into one of the best players in program history. Recording 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, Green became the first player in Gardner-Webb history to reach both of those benchmarks.
After starting his coaching career at Merrimack College, DuDonis has also served as the head coach at Carlson High School in Michigan, as well as being a play-by-play and color commentator on the SEC Network+ and other networks for multiple sports.
In addition to his duties at UWRF, DuDonis is also a member of the Women's Basketball Coaching Association (WBCA) and is the lone Division III representative on the WBCA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Social Justice Task Force, whose goal is to work to dismantle systemic and institutional racism and oppression within our communities through the action and the voices of women's basketball coaches, allies, and advocates of the game.
DuDonis earned a B.S. degree in Journalism from Gardner-Webb University where he served as a student assistant coach and male practice player for the women's basketball team. He resides in St. Paul, Minn., with his wife Carly Thibault, the associate women's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota, and their dog, RJ.
