Brooks named head coach at Kentucky

Waynesboro, Virginia native led Hokies to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, one Final Four and 180 wins in eight seasons in Blacksburg

From Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG — Kenny Brooks, the architect of one of the most storied stretches in Virginia Tech women’s basketball history, is set to depart as head coach and accept the same position at the University of Kentucky.

“We hired Kenny in 2016 with the intent of revitalizing our women’s basketball program,” Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock said. “Needless to say, Kenny, his staff and student-athletes created a culture of excellence on and off the court. He was an incredible mentor to the young women in our women’s basketball program and a terrific representative of our department and university. We wish Kenny and his family well in this next chapter of his career.

“I remain confident in the trajectory of our women’s basketball program and when combined with our resources, specifically NIL, that the future of our women’s basketball program is bright.”

Brooks built the Hokies into a champion brand, guiding the program to its first ACC tournament title in 2023 and first ACC regular-season championship in 2024. While in Blacksburg, Brooks compiled a 180-82 overall record, which includes a school-record 31 wins in 2022-23 that culminated in the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance.

In his eight seasons at the helm of the Hokies, Brooks produced at least 20 wins seven times while steering Tech to the NCAA tournament four straight seasons (2021-2024).

Virginia Tech will begin an immediate national search for the Hokies’ next women’s basketball head coach.