Raised in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Karen Stack Umlauf describes her time there as idyllic, adding that she felt a part of a community. She attended Seton Academy in South Holland, Illinois, an all-girls Catholic school. She then matriculated at Northwestern University, where she currently serves as Director of Basketball Operations.
We talked following the Wildcats’ return from Spain, where they were on a tour, playing three exhibition games as part of preparations for the new season. Previously, Umlauf worked for the Chicago Bulls, spending time in the front office and as an assistant coach over the course of her nearly 30 years with the organization. Her path to ultimately becoming an assistant coach for the Bulls wasn’t the usual former-player-turned-coach story. Her more atypical career journey is the subject of our conversation.
Umlauf’s basketball education
Umlauf began by revealing:
I realized the major I was taking at Northwestern wasn’t something I felt strong about. It was speech and language pathology. I went and played for a year in France in a small town and it was great. It was tough, but also a great experience. I mean tough, because the team was not at the highest level and communication was still an issue back then. I couldn’t call…
