Karly Brautigam was hired as the University of Minnesota Duluth Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach in September of 2021 after spending the previous two seasons as the associate track and field coach at Macalester College, a Division III member of the NCAA. She then assumed the role of Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in December of 2021 as she hired Brette Jensen as the Head Cross Country Coach.
Since taking over the program four short years ago, Brautigam has led an overhaul on Bulldog sprints. A whopping eight sprinting school records were upended in the 2024-25 season alone.
In the 2024-25 indoor season, these included the women’s 4x400m relay and the men’s 60m. Outdoor records followed in the women’s and men’s 100m, the men’s 200m, the men’s 110m hurdles, the women’s 4x100m relay, and the men’s 4x400m relay.
Brautigam has also guided both the men’s and women’s teams to consistent placings in the NSIC Conference Championships. The highest placing for either program at a conference championship under Brautigam has been fifth.
In her first season coaching the UMD Men's and Women's Cross Country teams in 2021, Brautigam guided the women's team to the NCAA Division II Championships for the first time since 2017.
Prior to Macalester, Brautigam was at Cornell College (NCAA Division III) in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where she was an assistant cross country and track coach for four seasons. At Cornell, Brautigam spent four years overseeing the sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers. During her time at Cornell, she coached five NCAA All-Americans, 13 conference champions, and 43 All-Conference student-athletes.
In addition to her coaching duties at Cornell, Brautigam served as the department's Senior Women's Administrator from 2017 to 2019. In this role she led the athletic department's compliance operations as well as expanded the college's diversity and inclusion efforts, including launching a student-athlete women's leadership group.
Before Cornell, she spent a year at fellow NSIC member, University of Sioux Falls (Division II), where she coached four All-Conference performers and an All-American.
Brautigam is a graduate of Wartburg College (NCAA Division III), where she earned a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Leadership. At Wartburg, Brautigam had an impressive track career, earning 19 All-Conference awards and qualifying for the NCAA Championships four times. She was a two-time Indoor All-American, placing second in the 4x400 relay and seventh in the distance medley relay. Wartburg won eight conference team titles and four NCAA team championships during Brautigam's career.
What they are saying about Coach Brautigam:
“Karly quickly rose to the rank of associate head coach because she showed all the signs of a budding star in the industry. Her student centered approach to coaching and infectious positivity make it tough to see her go, but we are so excited for her opportunity and can’t wait to see what’s ahead for UMD track and field.” -- Donnie Brooks, Macalester College Director of Athletics
“Karly has been a tremendous leader and coach for our program at Macalester. Her work ethic, enthusiasm, and drive to create the best possible student-athlete experience will be an asset for the program at UMD. I am confident she will have a high level of success as a head coach and that she will create an environment in which her team thrives.” -- Dan Schofer, Macalester College Director of Cross Country and Track and Field
“I’ve had the opportunity to be a student-athlete with Karly and a coach. She has always had a passion for serving others and love for track and field. Those qualities as well as her incredible work ethic make her an amazing coach. I’ve witnessed firsthand how she connects with student-athletes and enhances programs. I am excited for this next step for her and know she is the right person for the job.” -- Tashina Steggall, Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Cornell College
