MOVING ON: Carla Berube instructs her Princeton University women’s basketball squad during a game this season. Last week, Berube left her post as Princeton’s head coach to take the helm of the Northwestern University women’s basketball program. Berube’s move to the Chicago area closes a remarkable chapter in Tiger women’s hoops history which saw her guide Princeton to a 147-29 record, five Ivy League titles, and five appearances in the NCAA tournament in seven years. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
On March 21, Carla Berube was out in Los Angeles coaching the Princeton University women’s basketball team in the first round of the NCAA tournament where it fell 82-68 to Oklahoma State.
Four days later, it was revealed that she will be heading to the Chicago area to take the helm of the Northwestern University women’s basketball program.
Berube’s move closes a remarkable chapter in Tiger women’s hoops history which saw her guide Princeton to a 147-29 record, five Ivy League titles, and five appearances in the NCAA tournament.
Berube, who came to Princeton in 2019 after a stellar 17-year tenure at Division III Tufts University where she compiled a record of 384-96 and became the program’s all-time leader in wins, grew as a coach in excelling at the D-I level.
“It’s incredibly difficult to put into words what these past seven years at Princeton have meant to me and my family,” said Berube, as quoted on the Princeton sports website. “This place, this community, and this program have impacted me more than words can express. This program is so much more than wins and losses — it’s about the relationships, the growth, and the shared belief in something bigger than ourselves. I’ve had the privilege of coaching some of the most driven, thoughtful, and resilient young women I’ve ever met, and they’ve changed my life forever.”
Princeton Director of Athletics John Mack ’00 credited Berube with making a special impact on the program and community.
“I am thankful to Carla Berube for everything she has given to Princeton University and Princeton women’s basketball over her seven years as a Tiger,” said Mack in a statement on the Princeton sports website. “She, her coaches, and her student-athletes have represented Princeton at a high standard on and off the court, continuing the program’s reign not only atop the Ivy League but among the nation’s elite teams. Everyone associated with Princeton Athletics is grateful for the special moments shared and the championships won in Jadwin and arenas across the country over the past seven years.”
Princeton went 26-4 this season, winning the outright Ivy League regular season championship and topping Harvard 63-53 in the Ivy Tournament championship game before the loss to Oklahoma State in the NCAA tournament. Berube was named a finalist for the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award along with being part of the Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year. Her squad featured five All-Ivy selections this winter in Madison St. Rose (first team), Skye Belker (second team), Fadima Tall (second team), Olivia Hutcherson (honorable mention), and Ashley Chea (honorable mention).
Princeton has started a nationwide search for a new head coach with former Princeton star and current Lehigh head coach Addie Micir ’11 and Tiger associate head coach Lauren Gosselin seen as potential candidates for the position.
For Northwestern, Berube emerged as the top candidate as it searched to replace previous head coach Joe McKeown, who retired after an 18-year tenure guiding the Wildcats.
“When we launched a national search months ago with our outstanding search committee, we set forth with three goals in mind,” said Northwestern Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Mark Jackson in a statement on the school’s sports website. “First, we needed to find someone who was aligned with our culture at Northwestern. Second, a proven winner with NCAA Tournament experience. And lastly, someone who could navigate an elite academic environment in the most competitive athletic conference in the country. Carla Berube delivers on all fronts. Equally as important, we found a leader with a rare combination of fierce competitiveness, humility, and the ability to develop players and people with compassion and dedication.”
Berube, for her part, is fired up to become a part of that culture. “I’m incredibly honored to join the women’s basketball program at Northwestern University,” said Berube, in a statement on the school’s sports website. “This is a place where academic and athletic excellence go hand in hand, and I’m excited to build a championship culture that reflects that standard.”
According to USA Today, Berube will receive an annual salary of $800,000 per year with $1 million NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) budget for the team in revenue-sharing money.
Taking on a major rebuild as Northwestern went 8-21 overall and 2-16 Big Ten this season and last had a winning season when it went 17-12 in 2021-22, Berube will earn her money as she looks to get the Wildcats back on the right track.
“Competing in the Big Ten Conference requires toughness, discipline, and a relentless commitment to growth,” said Berube, who has hired her Princeton assistant coaches Lily Paro and Lauren Dillon to join the Northwestern staff. “We are going to embrace that challenge and build a team that competes with pride and goes to battle for one another every night.”