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Since arriving in Berkeley in 2003, Cari DuBois has led the California women's gymnastics program to immediate success and helped given Cal some recent national notoriety. In her short tenure, DuBois has guided the Golden Bears to their first back-to-back dual-meet winning seasons since 1991-92 and led the 2003 Cal team to a fourth-place NCAA regional finish. During that same season, she helped Mŷ-Lan Dodd become Cal's first NCAA championship meet representative in nearly a decade. She was also named Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year and West Regional Coach of the Year in 2003. A year later, Cal finished fifth at NCAA regionals, the program's best back-to-back postseason showing since 1991-92. DuBois and the Bears returned to the NCAA West Regional last season for the first time since 2004, finished in fourth and ended the campaign with No. 26 national ranking.
DuBois' presence in the Cal program was felt right away. She inherited a team that finished a disappointing 5-9 the year before her arrival, and with virtually no time to recruit for the upcoming season, guided the Bears to a 12-5 dual meet record. In 2003, Cal made its first appearance in the NCAA regionals n two years, finishing fourth - the best placement since taking third in 1992. In 2004, Cal finished 9-6, fifth at the NCAA regionals and set school records in the uneven bars (49.550), balance beam (49.300) and floor exercise (49.425). Last year, Cal scored its second highest team score in school history at 196.500. The Bears have finished nationally ranked in DuBois' first two seasons and in 2007.
Prior to coming to Cal, DuBois, 38, spent six years as an assistant coach at West Virginia (1996-02) and three years with the Golden Bears (1993-96). At West Virginia, she helped the Mountaineers attain their highest national ranking ever (fourth, 2000) and helped lead West Virginia to a pair of 12th-place national finishes in 1999 and 2000. While she was in Morgantown, three WVU gymnasts were named conference gymnasts of the year, three others garnered conference outstanding senior gymnast of the year honors and Danielle Lilly became the first Mountaineer freshman to win a NCAA regional title (balance beam, 1997). During DuBois' tenure, West Virginia averaged more than 20 wins per season and captured four Big East championships.
In DuBois' previous stint in Berkeley, under then-head coach Alfie Mitchell, the Bears accumulated a 37-20 (.649) meet record and she coached the last Cal NCAA qualifier prior to Dodd, Candice Kwok in 1994. During DuBois' last season at Cal in 1996, the Bears set a record team score of 193.925.
Prior to collegiate coaching, DuBois spent time instructing and choreographing routines at several gymnastics camps and clubs nationwide, including the National Gymnastics Village in Colorado Springs, Colo. DuBois has also spent time as a camp instructor at the Universities of Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia, coaching gymnasts of all skill levels. She is a certified national judge, with experience judging levels 5-10 in California, Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
As a competitor, DuBois was a four-year letterwinner and three-time Mid-American Conference selection at Ball State from 1989-92. She earned team MVP honors in 1990 and 1992, and was nominated for Most Valuable MAC Gymnast of the Year and Top Female Athlete at Ball State. DuBois won the 1989 MAC Championship meet vault crown and the 1992 MAC floor exercise title. While competing for the Cardinals, DuBois set school records in the all-around (37.75) and vault (9.80).
A native of St. Joseph, Mo., DuBois received her bachelor's degree in exercise science and wellness from Ball State in 1992 and hold's a master's degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia.
