Oct. 2 – Kenny Brooks, Head Coach, Women’s Basketball, University of Kentucky

Kenny Brooks, who was chosen as the 2025 Sporting News National Coach of the Year, was named the ninth head coach of the University of Kentucky women’s basketball program on March 26, 2024. He enters his sec­ond season as the Wildcats’ head coach in 2025-26, while he enters his 24th season overall as a head coach.

Boasting a 540-212 (.718) career record through 23 seasons as a head coach across his times at James Madi­son, Virginia Tech, and Kentucky, Brooks has compiled five Colonial Athletic Association Tournament titles, four CAA regular-season titles, one Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title, one ACC regular-season title, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, and one Final Four.

Brooks’ first season at the helm of the Kentucky Wildcats was nothing short of sensational. He hit the ground running in Spring 2024, recruiting 11 players and hiring 11 coaches and staffers that would end up being com­petitive in a conference that was new to almost all of them. That collection would go on to earn a 23-8 overall record in 2024-25, including an 11-5 mark in the Southeastern Conference to finish in fourth place in the loaded league. In the process, Brooks tied the late Terry Hall as the quickest head coaches in program history to reach their first 20 wins at UK (24 games). Brooks also joined Hall as just the second head coach in program history to begin their first season at UK undefeated through seven games.

The Wildcats, who earned five ranked triumphs, ranked as high as No. 8 in the Associated Press poll on the season, while they went on to earn the four seed and double bye at the SEC Tournament and the four seed and hosting privileges in the NCAA Tournament. The Cats broke or tied 12 school records before ending the season as the nation’s leader in blocks per game (7.0). Meanwhile, star-studded point guard Georgia Amoore – who he affectionally refers to as his mini-me – went on to earn consensus All-America, Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Top Five Finalist, ESPN Newcomer of the Year, SEC Newcomer of the Year and All-SEC First Team – among others – before being picked No. 6 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics, while his sophomore center Clara Strack earned Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Top 10 Finalist, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Defensive Team.

The excitement abounded for the program Brooks built off the court, too, with reserved season tickets selling out prior to the season, and four home games, including its final three home games, selling out in advance of the tip times. Also off the court, Brooks’ team assembled a 3.59 GPA in Fall 2024, the program’s highest GPA in 10 years (outside of the Covid-affected semester in Spring 2020).

Brooks arrived in Lexington after serving eight seasons as the head coach at Virginia Tech. Under his guidance, the Hokies enjoyed eight consecutive winning seasons (2017-24) and made four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2021-24). He also produced a record amount of ACC win totals, ranked wins and postsea­son accolades in that time. Brooks joined Virginia Tech after an impressive 14-season stint as head coach at James Madison University, where he compiled a record of 337-122 (.756), which made him the winningest coach in school history. Brooks guided the Dukes to 11 consecutive postseason appearances, including six NCAA bids and five trips to the WNIT.

A 1992 graduate of James Madison, Brooks played for three seasons under coach Lefty Driesell, while also earning a degree in business management. Brooks and his wife, Chrissy, have four children, Kendyl, Chloe, Gabby, and Nicholas.

Welcome, Coach Brooks!