GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Women's Basketball Head Coach Dennis Hutter announced the hire of Claire Canahuate to the 2025-26 UND Women's Basketball staff. Canahuate will serve as an assistant coach on staff.

"We are excited to have Claire join our coaching staff here at UND," said Hutter. "I am excited to get another chance to work with Claire again, after our time together at Mayville State. Claire brings a wealth of collegiate playing and coaching experience to our staff, and will be a great addition."
Coach Claire Canahuate has been with Mayville State University since 2016, where she played on the women's basketball team from 2016-2020. In her playing career, she helped lead the team to an 81-35 record and scored 1,194 points and recorded over 300 career assists. In her four years of playing, they were crowned the regular season champions twice and led the team to win the conference tournament championship, giving the team a national tournament berth.

Canahuate graduated from Mayville State in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management. Following graduation, she started as the assistant coach at Mayville State, where she coached four years. Under Canahuate, the team has a record of 84-25 with three straight 20+ win seasons. With those wins it led a regular season championship title, two conference tournament championships title, and two national tournament appearances making it to the round of 32 and the Sweet 16 the following year.

Canahuate has helped run youth/team camps and has done individual lessons both locally, through the University, and traveling to locations around North Dakota and Minnesota. She has worked alongside her father in the Minnesota area with his camps through his company "Hoopology" as well.

"I am super excited for this opportunity to coach at UND and join the Fighting Hawks family," said Claire Canahuate. "I am also excited to coach under Dennis Hutter again, as I played for him for four years and coached with him for four years at Mayville State University. He has always been a mentor to me and has shaped me into the person and the coach I am today."

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, follow on social media @UNDwbasketball or visit FightingHawks.com.