Carla Berube Hires New Northwestern Women's Basketball Associate Head Coach
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New Northwestern Wildcats women's basketball head coach Carla Berube is surrounding herself with familiar faces as she transitions to the Big Ten.
Berube just brought aboard new director of basketball operations Lilly Paro, who served in that same capacity with Berube at Princeton for the last five years.
According to a team press release, Berube has now added a longtime assistant to serve as her associate head coach at Northwestern: Lauren Dillon.
"Stepping into the role of Associate Head Coach for Northwestern Women's Basketball is such an incredible honor," Dillon commented. "I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to grow, lead, and compete alongside Coach Berube and this special group in one of the best conferences in the country. I'm excited for what's ahead and ready to get to work!"
Dillon also took to her personal X account to celebrate the news.
Couldn’t be more grateful to join the ‘Cats family! 💜
— LD (@Lauren_Dillon11) March 30, 2026
Excited for what’s ahead and ready to get to work! 😼 https://t.co/aAveJAIWu3
"Couldn't be more grateful to join the 'Cats family!" Dillon wrote. "Excited for what's ahead and ready to get to work!"
Dillon has spent the last seven years with Berube, including six seasons with the Princeton Tigers. She had played under Berube at Tufts, and upon graduating had spent a season serving as an assistant coach to Berube.
With Berube (and Dillon) at the helm, Princeton appeared in five straight NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the second round twice.
"I'm really excited to welcome Lauren to our staff as Associate Head Coach," Berube noted. "Having worked together at Princeton, I've seen firsthand how she pushes players to be their best every single day. Lauren is an exceptional teacher of the game who combines preparation, energy, and toughness, and she holds our student-athletes to the high standards it takes to compete at the Big Ten level."
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An Evanston native, Alex Kirschenbaum is also a proud Northwestern alum. He has written for Bleacher Nation, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Hoops Rumors, Trailers From Hell, Men's Journal, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others. Alex knows Zach Collins has given the Bulls some good years, but he'll never forgive the then-Gonzaga center for that very obvious goaltend against the Wildcats during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.