Kentucky women’s basketball head coach Kenny Brooks did his introductory press conference on Thursday afternoon after being hired on Tuesday morning.
Landing in the Bluegrass, Brooks was able to address Kentucky fans for the first time.
He started off his opening statement by expressing his gratitude towards Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, saying, “It’s an honor to be the head women’s basketball coach here in Kentucky.”
The past two seasons Kentucky women’s basketball has drowned in losses, leading Barnhart to move on from former head coach Kyra Elzy as the program needed a change for the better.
“When you think about Kentucky, you think about basketball,” Brooks, a Virginia native, said.
Brooks had led the Virginia Tech women’s basketball program — which was also floundering when he took over — to eight consecutive winning seasons, its first ACC title and its first Final Four in program history.
“I wasn’t looking (for a new job) – you know what we did at Virginia Tech was very, very, very special,” he said. “What we did, we created a buzz for women’s basketball that is much needed and much deserved.”
While some may wonder why Brooks would leave Virginia Tech if he was having such great success there, he described the Kentucky women’s basketball program as “a sleeping giant and a great opportunity,” and followed that statement up by saying, “if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”
Brooks also mentioned how big of an impact the newly renovated Memorial Coliseum had on his decision to take over the helm of the Wildcats as it showed the Cats’ willingness to dedicate resources to the program.
“I’m a firm believer that it’s not necessarily the building, it’s what’s within the building, it’s what’s within the building,” Brooks said while describing his vision for next season. “We need to bring awareness to women’s basketball and I’m looking forward to that challenge here, I know the Big Blue Nation is very passionate about their Wildcats.”
Based on his words, it seems Brooks already has a pretty good understanding of how passionate Kentucky basketball fans are and is ready to electrify them with his new squad when the 2024-25 season rolls in.
Kentucky is firmly in the middle of the offseason as it continues to work toward what the roster will look like next season, though it may be a reassuring sign that many Cats who had entered the transfer portal still decided to show up for Brooks.
The Kentucky Kernel will continue to provide updates and coverage of information as it becomes available regarding Kentucky women’s basketball.
