Karen Stack has spent her entire life being involved in basketball.
Following her collegiate career at Northwestern, Stack, the director of player personnel and assistant coach for the women’s basketball team, moved behind the scenes as the director of basketball administration and director of team operations for the Chicago Bulls for over 30 years, where she earned six championships.
Now, after an assistant coaching stint with the Bulls and another four seasons as the director of basketball operations at her alma mater, Stack brings a lifetime of experience to a new-look Bulldog squad.
Stack recalled Butler standing out to her when her daughter was looking for a college to attend, and kept the Dawgs on her radar following coaching changes at both Northwestern and Butler.
“I just [thought], ‘What a gem of a school,’” Stack said. “I knew that [Butler] had solid backing with the importance they place on basketball here. It’s a priority, and when I saw that [head coach Maria] Marchesano was hired, I did a little research on her, and I was like, ‘Gosh, I’m trying to see if I know anyone who would know her.’ And coincidentally, the graduate assistant on her staff, we were going to maybe hire where I was. So I reached out to her [and] she shared [Marchesano’s] number. I thought my ideal [opportunity] would be here, to be in the hotbed of basketball in Indiana, and it’s a place I actually would love to stay long-term. I love it.”
Specifically, Stack felt there was an opportunity for her to be a veteran presence for the coaching staff.
“I think I kind of fit [into a gap] on the staff,” Stack said. “Having two people come with [Marchesano] from [Purdue Fort Wayne] in [associate head coach Steven] Asher — he’s been doing the defense — and [assistant coach Quincy Cunningham] with player development [meant] she had those two [areas] set, and then [she had assistant coaches Chelsey Perry] and [Latrell Fleming] here. It was like there was an opening for a veteran female on the staff.
Being a resource for the program comes from Stack’s experience as a player, director and a coach at three different levels — high school, college and professional. She first developed a love for the game of basketball in her youth, watching her father coach her brother’s team and playing in her driveway. She does not see herself as a brilliant schemer, but instead believes that she is a student of the game.
“I had a love of the game,” Stack said. “My dad was a tactician [who] taught good free throw mechanics [and] all the different fundamentals. I just feel the way that I see the game ahead, I’m one of those people [who] may not be your best at drawing up plays or doing things like that, but I have a real feel for the pulse of the game, what’s happening and what can what we can address in just a simple, positive [way].”
Fellow members of the coaching staff have noticed the positive attitude Stack carries and believe the perspective she has helps the team improve each day. Among those who believe Stack’s presence is helpful to the program is head coach Marchesano.
“I think what’s been cool is [hearing] her perspective after practice,” Marchesano said. “[Whether] we have a good [or] bad practice, her just pointing out some things that she’s kind of seeing from a bird’s eye view and just bouncing things off of her has been cool.”
Additionally, because of Stack’s experience at all levels of the game, Perry mentioned how she tries to learn from Stack in whatever way she can.
“She’s just a wealth of knowledge,” Perry said. “I’m always going to take [her perspective and wisdom] in as an up-and-coming coach.”
In addition to her knowledge of the game, Perry also sees Stack as a valuable resource for the players because of her patient and understanding approach.
“I think it’s just her character and how she loves the girls,” Perry said. “She always gives the perspective of patience with the girls. Specifically if they’re not getting it correctly, she always has a different outlook teaching it a different way.”
Stack’s philosophy as a coach is to not dwell on the past or “moving forward.” She attributes her approach to learning from her years working with Michael Jordan during the Bulls’ championship runs.
“That’s just my nature,” Stack said. “I just always [believe] what you did, you can’t change. That’s why we put armor on in front, right? You’re moving forward. You’re facing the next challenge, and [have to] stay present in the moment. That was Michael Jordan’s mantra: ‘Just be in the moment.’”
In addition to her positive attitude during practices and game preparation, Stack tries to be a strong mentor for the players on and off the court.
“Some of the players have shared that I am someone who [they] feel like they can talk to as a mom,” Stack said. “I’m gonna give them a hug, I know that probably what they need in some of these situations is just a listening ear.”
As the director of player personnel, Stack is also tasked with helping the players off the court, such as coordinating community events and forming connections between players and employers in their respective industries.
“A lot of the things she’s doing [are] off-court with [the players],” Marchesano said. “[Stack is] making sure our players are getting opportunities to connect with somebody in their [field], getting us in the community [and] making sure that they’re connecting with people on campus. She’s really good about leveraging those connections to help our players.”
Stack is also a member of the Oak Forest High School Hall of Fame and Basketball Museum of Illinois Hall of Fame, which highlights her contributions to her community and the game of basketball throughout her career. Even with the accolades, Stack maintains an attitude of humility and carries deep appreciation for them.
“It’s an honor, especially for the high school I went to,” Stack said. “I went there only one year, and we were one of the top teams in the state. We went down and brought our smallish town [a] championship. [That hall of fame also required] contributing in the business world and whatever other things you did as an alumni of the school. So I’m proud of that, and I just always tried to do things with integrity and also be available to younger people who wanted to get some information about how they enter into sports careers.”
Stack brings to the table a vast array of accomplishments to a Bulldog team hungry for success. In addition to her success with the Bulls, she also served as the assistant coach for the girl’s basketball team at Carmel Catholic High School in Illinois, where she helped capture a state championship.
With Stack having contributed to successful teams throughout her career in a variety of ways, Perry believes the team can utilize that experience to their advantage throughout the season.
“She has six rings for a reason,” Perry said. “We just [have] to keep on seeking that wealth of knowledge from her and continue learning what it takes to win.”