April 10, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Kenny Brooks is ready for his next challenge
By The Next
Kenny Brooks discusses his decision to leave Virginia Tech for Kentucky and how he plans to improve a program that's ready to win big
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Howard Megdal sits down with Kenny Brooks to discuss the latest challenge he’s rising to: coaching the women’s basketball team at the University of Kentucky. Howard and Kenny discuss this next chapter and reflect on his past coaching experiences at James Madison and Virginia Tech.
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Howard and Kenny begin by going back in time. “You turned James Madison into not just a winning program but a factory for the pros,” Howard says to the new Kentucky coach. “And then you go to Virginia Tech, which is not a traditional hotbed of women’s basketball, and have turned it into a place where … the experience is great …” Kenny responds by asserting that success is all about the players. “You’re really judged on wins and losses,” he starts, “but if you’re a true coach … you know, it’s about building relationships … when you have a tremendous relationship with a kid, that’s when they’re going to run through a wall for you.”
How, then, does Kenny plan to bring that transformative magic to Kentucky? He’ll start by benefiting from the fact that, at Kentucky, basketball is already on the national scene. “Back at Virginia Tech,” he says, “we had to educate people about who we were … but now, we’ve got more of a head start.” The fan base will help a lot, he adds. “They’re passionate, they’ve been waiting for a winner.” It wasn’t an easy decision for him to leave Virginia Tech and take on the challenge at Kentucky, but ultimately, Kenny says, “I went with my gut.”
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