Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Green Bay on November 3, 2026 at TBA
Women's Basketball
vs Green Bay
Women's Basketball
Karen Middleton
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- karen.middleton@duke.edu
Karen Middleton was hired to the Duke women’s basketball staff in May of 2023 and serves as an assistant coach with the Blue Devils.
In three seasons on the Duke bench, Middleton has helped lead the Blue Devils to a 68-29 overall record and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances to go with consecutive program’s 18th NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Additionally, under her guidance, she helped Oluchi Okananwa earn 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year honors and a place on the All-ACC Freshman Team. In 2025-26, Middleton provided mentorship to All-ACC first-team guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair. Both went on to be selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Middleton, a 30-plus-year coaching veteran with 13 years of head coaching experience, came to Duke after serving as head coach of the UW-La Crosse women’s basketball team from 2016-2023. During her seven-year tenure with the Eagles, Middleton compiled a 111-58 record (.657), coached 18 players to All-WIAC honors while leading the squad to an at-large bid to the 2020 NCAA Division III Tournament.
A native of Jefferson, S.C., Middleton served as associate head coach at Cal State Fullerton University in 2015-16, overseeing the day-to-day aspects of the women’s basketball program for the Titans.
Prior to working at Cal State Fullerton, Middleton was the head women’s basketball coach at Western Carolina University for six years from 2009-15. Under Middleton’s tutelage, three Catamounts earned SoCon All-Freshman Team honors while three players earned all-conference accolades, including a pair of first-team choices. Western Carolina garnered Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic National Top-25 finishes twice, including 13th in 2011-12 and 14th in 2012-13.
Middleton spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois from 2007-09, helping lead the Illini to a WNIT appearance in 2007-08. She was instrumental in helping Illinois sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the country, while also working closely with two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection Jenna Smith.
Before coaching at Illinois, Middleton served as an assistant coach at Stanford University from 1997-2007 under head coach Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinal won eight Pac-10 conference titles and earned 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during her time at Stanford, including four Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights. Middleton also coached three Kodak All-Americans and two Pac-10 Players of the Year.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, Middleton was an assistant coach at Eastern Washington from 1994-97. She started her coaching career at her alma mater, South Carolina, as a volunteer assistant during the 1991-92 season, before being elevated to assistant coach – a role she served in from 1992-94. A member of the WBCA, Middleton was on the USA Basketball Olympic Festival Trials Staff in 1993 and the USA Basketball National Team Training Camp Staff in 1994.
Middleton played for the Gamecocks for four years, scoring over 1,700 career points and setting a single-season school record with 115 three-point field goals made. She was a team captain and most valuable player and earned All-Metro Conference honors.
She holds two degrees from the University of South Carolina, graduating cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education before earning her Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in physical education in 1993.
In three seasons on the Duke bench, Middleton has helped lead the Blue Devils to a 68-29 overall record and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances to go with consecutive program’s 18th NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Additionally, under her guidance, she helped Oluchi Okananwa earn 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year honors and a place on the All-ACC Freshman Team. In 2025-26, Middleton provided mentorship to All-ACC first-team guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair. Both went on to be selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Middleton, a 30-plus-year coaching veteran with 13 years of head coaching experience, came to Duke after serving as head coach of the UW-La Crosse women’s basketball team from 2016-2023. During her seven-year tenure with the Eagles, Middleton compiled a 111-58 record (.657), coached 18 players to All-WIAC honors while leading the squad to an at-large bid to the 2020 NCAA Division III Tournament.
A native of Jefferson, S.C., Middleton served as associate head coach at Cal State Fullerton University in 2015-16, overseeing the day-to-day aspects of the women’s basketball program for the Titans.
Prior to working at Cal State Fullerton, Middleton was the head women’s basketball coach at Western Carolina University for six years from 2009-15. Under Middleton’s tutelage, three Catamounts earned SoCon All-Freshman Team honors while three players earned all-conference accolades, including a pair of first-team choices. Western Carolina garnered Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic National Top-25 finishes twice, including 13th in 2011-12 and 14th in 2012-13.
Middleton spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois from 2007-09, helping lead the Illini to a WNIT appearance in 2007-08. She was instrumental in helping Illinois sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the country, while also working closely with two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection Jenna Smith.
Before coaching at Illinois, Middleton served as an assistant coach at Stanford University from 1997-2007 under head coach Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinal won eight Pac-10 conference titles and earned 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during her time at Stanford, including four Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights. Middleton also coached three Kodak All-Americans and two Pac-10 Players of the Year.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, Middleton was an assistant coach at Eastern Washington from 1994-97. She started her coaching career at her alma mater, South Carolina, as a volunteer assistant during the 1991-92 season, before being elevated to assistant coach – a role she served in from 1992-94. A member of the WBCA, Middleton was on the USA Basketball Olympic Festival Trials Staff in 1993 and the USA Basketball National Team Training Camp Staff in 1994.
Middleton played for the Gamecocks for four years, scoring over 1,700 career points and setting a single-season school record with 115 three-point field goals made. She was a team captain and most valuable player and earned All-Metro Conference honors.
She holds two degrees from the University of South Carolina, graduating cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education before earning her Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in physical education in 1993.
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