Jerry Krause

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Krause was born in 1939 to a Jewish family and grew up in Chicago. His parents operated a deli and then a shoe store. Krause played high school baseball as a catcher at Taft High School in Chicago and attended Bradley University. Krause began evaluating basketball and baseball talent as a high school student. He worked as a copy boy in the sports department of the Chicago American during his teenage years. Krause was obsessed with sports and was nicknamed 'J. G. Taylor Krause' after J. G. Taylor Spink, the editor of The Sporting News. He had wanted to become a sportswriter when he was young but realised he was 'just a hack' at writing and instead possessed a talent for scouting. Krause turned down a staff position at the Chicago American so he could become a scout.

In Their Own Story

The morning of the 1986 NBA draft was a tense affair as Krause prepared to select Brad Sellers, a tall forward with a solid jumper, despite coaches and players pushing for Duke’s Johnny Dawkins. Even Doug Collins had told Mike Krzyzewski that Dawkins would be picked, but Krause stuck to his guns on Sellers. The summer following the pick saw Jordan mercilessly working out Sellers in practice, leading to the player's trade after three seasons. In 1987, Krause executed a pivotal maneuver by drafting Horace Grant and trading Olden Polynice for Scottie Pippen from Seattle, creating the trio of Jordan, Pippen, and Grant that would dominate the decade. His resolve was tested repeatedly; when Jordan referred to him as 'Crumbs' to mock his appearance, Krause remained fiercely non-communicative with the media. Later, after Jordan’s first retirement in 1993, Krause persuaded Toni Kukoč to leave Europe and join the Bulls, a move that helped the team win 55 games without their superstar. The story culminated in the 1998 championship, after which Krause dismantled the core, believing the roster had reached its limit.

Reader's Guide

After college, Krause worked as a go-fer for Philip K. Wrigley, the owner of the Chicago Cubs. He then worked as a scout and in public relations for the Baltimore Bullets. Early on, Krause gained a reputation of being able to spot talent. He advocated for the Bullets to draft Jerry Sloan and Earl Monroe. While with the Bullets, Krause urged the team to pick North Dakota forward Phil Jackson in the 1967 NBA draft. The Bullets did not draft him, but Krause continued to keep in touch during Jackson's playing career and into his first years as a coach. Krause was a scout for the Chicago Bulls from their inaugural season in 1966 until 1971 when he had conflicts with head coach Dick Motta. He also scouted for the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers. On June 1, 1976, Krause was hired as the director of player personnel for the Bulls. One week into his role, he allegedly offered Ray Meyer the position of head coach but then denied it. The job instead went to Ed Badger who was not Krause's choice to fill the vacancy. Krause wanted to select Robert Parish in the 1976 NBA draft but Bulls owner Arthur Wirtz refused to negotiate with Parish's agent and instead drafted Scott May. On August 31, Krause resigned after three months in the role over apparent policy disagreements with Badger. Krause also worked as a baseball scout. He worked in the 1970s for the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago White Sox. He once worked as the general manager of a farm team for the Indians. While working for the Mariners, Krause continued to scout part-time for the Lakers. As a White Sox scout, he played a role in the signing of Ozzie Guillén and Kenny Williams, who would lead the White Sox to a World Series championship in 2005 as manager and general manager, respectively. He scouted for the White Sox until 1984. On March 26, 1985, Krause was hired by Jerry Reinsdorf as the vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls. Krause's first hire with the Bulls was longtime personal friend Tex Winter. Krause hired Winter as an assistant bench coach. Krause urged Winter to teach all of the Bulls players, especially Michael Jordan, the Triangle Offense. At the end of the 1988-1989 NBA season, Krause fired then-head coach Doug Collins and replaced him with assistant coach Phil Jackson. Krause made strength coach Al Vermeil one of his first h

Did You Know?

• Krause was nicknamed 'J. G. Taylor Krause' after J. G. Taylor Spink, the editor of The Sporting News.
• Krause turned down a staff position at the Chicago American so he could become a scout.
• Krause urged the Baltimore Bullets to draft Phil Jackson in 1967, but the Bullets did not draft him.
• Krause made strength coach Al Vermeil one of his first hires, and the Bulls became one of the first NBA teams to embrace weight training.
• Karen Stack Umlauf, originally hired as a secretary for Krause, was promoted to director of basketball operations, making her one of the few women deeply involved in basketball-centric duties.