Kentucky women’s basketball has been a surprise success his season, and it all stems from a decision made by coach Kenny Brooks back in 2002.
At the time, Brooks was the top assistant coach for James Madison men’s basketball when he decided to become an assistant coach on the women’s team. Almost everyone he knew told him he was taking a step backward in his career.
“All the way down to my family,” Brooks told CBS Sports. “Everyone, especially on the men’s (basketball) side, they were like, ‘Are you sure?’ My mom was dead set against it. She was like, ‘Don’t do it, you are going to be a head coach on the men’s side.'”
Brooks was sure because this was his second chance to make the switch. The first opportunity presented itself two years earlier, but he declined and regretted it immediately.
Brooks took over as James Madison’s women’s head coach a year later, and eventually led the Dukes to six NCAA Tournament appearances before getting hired by Virginia Tech in 2016. Fast forward to 2023, and Brooks had guided the Hokies to their first Final Four in program history while collecting a program-record 31 wins.
That decision Brooks made in 2002 still gets him a lot of praise from his peers, including…
