On Tuesday, Virginia Tech women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks accepted the same position at Kentucky.
“We hired Kenny in 2016 with the intent of revitalizing our women’s basketball program,” Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock said in a release. “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.”
When the Hokies hired Brooks from James Madison in 2016, he inherited a program that was just 44-136 (.244) in ACC play in the previous 12 seasons. Though it didn’t happen overnight, he slowly turned Tech into a contender and then a winner. He finished with a 76-60 record (.559) in eight seasons in the conference and was 41-13 (.759) over the last three years.
Brooks won Tech’s first-ever ACC Tournament championship in 2023 and its first-ever ACC regular-season title in 2024. His team won 20-plus games seven out of eight seasons, too — all but the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season — and made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, tying a school record. That included a 31-5 (14-4 ACC) campaign in 2022-23 that featured the aforementioned conference tournament title and a run to the school’s first-ever Final Four.
After posting a 337-122 (.734) record in 14 seasons at JMU, Brooks was 180-82 (.687) at Tech. He led the Hokies to three straight top-four finishes in the ACC in his last three years. They were the No. 1 seed in the most recent ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., in March.
Brooks, 55, referred to his time at Tech as “the most amazing stretch of my coaching career” after Sunday’s loss to Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He won his 500th career game in December at Rutgers. He also coached three All-Americans in his time with the Hokies: Aisha Sheppard, Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore.
Sheppard graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,183) and 3-point leader (402), which doubles as the ACC’s record. She was Brooks’ first recruit in Blacksburg and played a school record 159 career games over five seasons. She was a two-time First Team All-ACC performer and earned second team honors twice.
Kitley is the greatest player in Virginia Tech history. She’s a three-time All-American and a three-time ACC Player of the Year, a club that includes the likes of Duke’s Alana Beard, Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas, NC State’s David Thompson and Virginia’s Ralph Sampson. She’s second all-time in the conference in points with 2,709 and first in double-doubles (76) and rebounds (1,506), which are all records with the Hokies.
Kitley owns numerous other Tech records too, including games started (151), minutes played (4,935), double-figure games (125), 30-point games (12), field goals made (1,109), rebounding average for a career (10.0) and blocks (331).
Amoore was the ACC Tournament’s MVP and the Seattle 3 Region’s Most Outstanding Player when the Hokies made the Final Four in 2023. She holds the program’s all-time record in assists with 656 and was a two-time First Team All-ACC performer.
Brooks’ buyout is $750,000. He had a top-10 recruiting class set to join the fold in the summer and had the chance to return nine of his 12 players from the team that won the ACC regular season.
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DAVID,
How much does the lack of stability in the ACC conference and the question of the future for the ACC conference play into his decision and taking the Kentucky position?
I’m curious as to why he’s leaving. Tons of cash? Ties to Kentucky? Issues with athletics dept at VT? There is always a reason. Cash always is a part of it…but is that it?
Wow. # of comments on this thread are off the chart.
I will miss CKB and wish him and his staff well.
So proud of these ladies. They have brought so much to the program and school and me personally. I hope we can keep those with eligibility.
May he suffer the same fate as Bonnie Henrickson — cursed be he!!!
I feel utterly betrayed. I am always a true, maroon HOKIE forever but when it comes to the coach leaving for a better opportunity, I say good riddance. I put all of my trust and belief in him and this is the THANKS that I get. I will support the new coach as I have always done. Don’t put the blame on Whit. He has done a GREAT job. I get the frustrations with everyone’s opinion. Some wish him well, some of us don’t. It is a system problem. Until we get rid of the portal and the NIL, these things are always going to happen. The only thing we can do. is to support the programs at TECH and always hope for the best. The future is clouding at the moment but tomorrow the sun will shine and a new day will begin anew. Let’s refocus and stop all of the bitterness between us and plow along and get going in the right direction.
GO HOKIES !!!
College sports have become an increasingly outrageous money grad. Used to be only coaches and schools legally participated in this greed induced overhyped environment but now everyone is in on it. Bags full of cash, free loans, apartments, homes, Lamborghinis, legal gambling, you name it. College sports, especially the money ones, have always been subject to corruption, now thanks to a f’d up Supreme Court, it is getting just as crooked as political campaigns, which our f’up Supreme Court also blessed increased corruption in it. Can’t blame Kenny for taking the money and running, he is just a willful participant in the new arena. Go Hokies. Hope our Athletes rise above the scourge.
Brooks needed to go if he didn’t want to stay at VT. He could appeal to recruit’s families, but was a horrible bench coach. He was out coached in crucial games in the past two years, especially with the talent he had. If he has any class and personal integrity left, he will not pirate any of VT’s current players or recruits. Don’t hold your breath. Coaching is a cutthroat business; therefore, don’t be surprised if Brooks shows his true colors by draining the talent bank at VT. Hopefully, Babcock has prepared for this coaching betrayal by Brooks. Time will tell. GO HOKIES.
I appreciate the gracious fans but I don’t get the classless ones. He could love VT and yet want to do best for himself and his family financially.
If you guys are such passionate fans why not raise the funds to keep him here?
I’m sad he’s gone but I wish him luck and appreciate what he do for our program
Coach brooks did something that no one had done before by leading the team to a Final Four. Building that team with Kitley, King, Amoore, Soule, Gregg, and Traylor was special and he will be remembered for that accomplishment.
That being said, I think his coaching this season was not great. Getting blitzed by the point guards from ND and Baylor was embarrassing. Excessive turnovers, especially at critical times in my humble opinion is a sign of poor coaching.
As a long term fan I enjoy wins when Tech plays smart and wins against superior talent.
Let’s hope that Whit will find the Coach that can over achieve with the team he or she inherits.
He’s dead to me.
And you are dead to him. Classless.
You wanna talk about classless?
All the lines Kenny Brooks fed to us about how special the team was, and the environment at Cassell, and Hokie Nation being so special to him… and then leaving it all behind for a shameless money grab?
Now *that’s* classless.
*crickets*
Oddly enough, it IS possible to enjoy a place, love it, make the most of it, build it up, tell the world how much it means to you, and have all of that be true . . . . and still choose to take advantage of other opportunities. This does sting. I expect JMU fans felt similarly 8 years ago. Schools lose coaches to other schools. We’ve benefited from that, we’ve lost from that. Both will happen again. I appreciate Whit and the constraints he maneuvers within to find the right combination of support ($) for each of our sports teams. It clearly is not an easy task and I do not envy him. I have a new found appreciation for women’s basketball thanks to CKB’s efforts and have enjoyed the ride. He’s shown what’s possible at VT, the fans responded, and it is possible to do it again with our next chapter.
Thank you Coach Brooks for all of the fantastic memories! You are a class act no regardless of what some of the posters have spewed here! By some of the comments I have read, we DON”T deserve you. Selfish crybabies!
I’m sorry to lose CKB but wish him well. He’s a good man. I’ll be more disappointed to lose any of the girls who could return next year or the new recruits coming in, especially, this girl coming from Spain. I was really looking forward to seeing them develop & keep this program moving up.
If CBP is successful in rejuvenating football what do u think will happen to Brent and staff then? What SEC or Big 10 AD will call?
Disappointed in believing the BS CKB acclaimed but guess the coach speak was just that “all talk”. Hope Whit is all over the coach search fast so as to minimize the hit in team departures and the portal.
I think it will be interesting to see how Brooks fares over the next few years at KY. He has said he sees basketball as a beautiful game, which it is…when everyone plays nice. But he is heading into a realm where WBB is all about how much you can beat up on your opponent to enforce your will. Everyone, including Brooks, recognized that we were not a ‘physical’ team and it was evident when we played LSU last year. It will be interesting to see if he changes his approach to his ‘Beautiful’ game when he’s facing the LSU’s, USC’s, and others like them in the SEC on a weekly basis.
Damn.
If you’re not sec or big 16 and wish to keep your coaches, plan on staying mediocre. Yes the small print and 16 show my lack of respect for both. The SEC is at least what they have always been a semi-pro league with no remorse but the big 10 is truly a disgusting hypocrite in this current upheaval of college sports.
I agree with you 100%.
Let’s face it, college sports has changed and we are on the outside looking in. The SEC schools have more money than we do, thanks to ESPN. If enough people start boycotting ESPN and SEC football, big 10 too, maybe things will change.
I don’t blame CKB…it’s a job, and a career…
Blame VT, including each of us, for not creating a compelling enough financial and career future…you want to change that, and it’s that important to you, donate to boost the program.
It would be unfair to blame the fans/alumni who are supporting the program buying tickets, donating on multiple fronts (NIL, school, multiple athletic funds, money to keep your stadium seats, etc). At the end of the day we are being asked to take up the slack from the inferior Conference money.
Sorry if you don’t agree, but I have lost ALL respect for Kenny Brooks!! All the nice talk about Virginia Tech and how the fans have supported the WBB program, and how he thinks that VT is such a special place (it is). To up and leave a Championship caliber program for a few bucks more, that’s just WRONG in my book. And, he’s a VA guy. Show some loyalty, instead of greed.
If KY was a better job, and he was in a declining situation, perhaps I would give him some slack, but not here. At least Buzz had some ties to TX. VERY disappointed in KB, so save the speech for someone who cares!!!
Buzz had ties to the area and got a significant raise. A 750k buyout is on WB. I am not sure why we are not paying KB a matching offer after we gave raises to a sub .500 set of football coaches. Sure they have shown some promise, but they are sub .500 in 2 yrs and have yet to beat even a decent team. Pay to keep the guy who is selling out Cassell. Those days of hundreds of women’s basketball fans attending can return real quick.
I agree. I’ve lost all respect. Hope he fails big time
I agree with you. This is not a good reflection on his integrity at all. Extremely disappointed in him.
I agree too – especially after he lied thru his teeth at that presser.
I agree with you 100%.
If you think $2MM/year is “a few bucks” you should have put up the money to keep Brooks in Blacksburg yourself. This huge increase in salary, coupled with a massive NIL budget, a dedicated WBB facility, increased resources for assistants and staff, and school with a basketball obsession (albeit, MBB) makes this a no-brainer for Brooks. It appears that all of VT’s available resources are going to football for the foreseeable future, so people need to get used to mediocrity elsewhere. Good luck to coach Brooks and thanks for the memories.
Yes, its a few bucks. There are very few WBB coaches making $2M+ currently, and the ones that are have multiple NCAA championships by their name, not just one Final 4 appearance. All those resources were there for KY’s previous coach and she didn’t win. They are there for KY’s Men’s team, and they are sitting at home after Rd1 watching the tournament like the rest of us (lots of hype, nothing to show for it).
A no-brainer would be to stay at a place that you have already elevated to championship level and continue to build a legacy. Do that and the money will come.
NO RESPECT!!! Hollow words!!
Well said MSLSHOKIE I could not agree more!
Totally agree with you, MSLSHOKIE and MISTERBIG. My guess is Brooks adventure in Lexington will end up the same way that Bonnie’s ended up at KU. Still trying to fathom how he could leave a place where he was the No. 1 dog in the pack to go to a place where he will be no more than No. 3 behind the men’s bball coach and football coach. Truly disappointed in Brooks’ decision and hoping that he is ethical enough to not pull a Buzz raid on our existing team, but my guess is the gut job has already started. We shall see.
Exactly! The dudes totally trashing Brooks are complete dolts. Have zero clues and evidently not enough fresh oxygen in their basements. They’d take the money, the bennies, the facilities and go too. Puhlease.
Agree with you 100%. Action speaks louder than words and KB is nothing but a boat load of words. Hope he can sell his loyalty and family narrative to the cut-throat sec. He’ll be swimming with all the other bottom feeders.
KB is a turncoat. Plain and simple.
What a stupid post, let’s hope you’re smarter than something you write on the internet
The poster is entitled to his opinion.
Agreed!
This is the stupid post.
Dadgummit!!. Every time it seems like we’re about to accomplish something really big, we get gut punched or just miss the brass ring. I’m 73 and it seems like I’ve experienced this too many times. I think a lot of KB but I’m waiting to see the fall out with our recruits and current team members. I fear the worst. No national championships in any team sport in my lifetime. All but 3 schools in the Power 5 conferences have won 1 or more team national championships. I hate being a member of that club of three.
Agreed. Strack looked so good that the future looked promising. I could see many of these girls leaving for UK.
I’m withholding judgment until I see if he takes players and recruits with him.
I’m guessing you wouldn’t have to wait long…CKB will take as many of his current players and recruits with him as possible. It’s simply how it’s done now. Loyalty in college sports is long dead.
I have a problem with Hypocrites. Expressing so much love for VT sounds very hollow now. Sorry Poppie took the Clemson job but Whit will come up with a rabbit out of the hat.
Agree with you. Don’t think there are any more rabbits out there. Like someone said: It’s not about the money, till it is. I wish all these coaches would stop with all the loyalty and family lies and just be honest and say ” I’m here to do the best I can and then I’m outa here to make more money” Wonder what lesson KB is teaching his players when they end up getting invites to ky. No respect for KB,
The lesson Kenny is teaching is “take the money and run”. So much for integrity and save the “we” and “community” BS for Kentucky.
The Poppie situation, to me, hints at possible bad blood between Brooks and Babcock. I’m sure Poppie was aware of Brooks talking to UK, Kenny was on Clemson’s press release! Poppie chose Clemson over VT before VT had a chance to even make overtures. But it’s time to move on.
The impact of this is dependent on our new coach. I trust Whit to find a good hire, as he did here. I do think Coach Brooks leaving us at this point leaves a bad impression of him, given what he has said. I get the money aspect but am certain he would have done well here in that regard. We had a chance to become a consistent powerhouse here with a friendly fan base and broad support. Kentucky’s program is corrupt and this move just demonstrates to me that he is full of baloney. I hope we can keep this team together and continue our progress despite CKB’s “flip”. I do not wish him well, he is dead to me!
Cdog, I think you have nailed how I feel. Thanks for putting into words that I could not find. What about all that love he expressed to Liz’s sister and family??? Seems kinda disingenuous now. I mean, he did say all those things, right?….. and we were expected to believe it. Sorry, just feeling sour grapes hearing about this. Standing by for ultimate gut punches…..Strack, Amoore, and the incoming talent we thought was coming……welcome to UK.
Anyone want to buy at VT CKB bobblehead?
Thank you for your work and the memories during your time here Kenny.
I don’t, however, consider myself under any obligation to “wish him luck” at his KY gig.
Not surprised but feel violated nevertheless. Now waiting for the other shoe(s) to drop. If KY had enough $$ to lure Brooks away, you can bet they’ll come up with big bags of cash for Strack, Wenzel, and – yes – Georgia. Ditto for Brooks’ recruits. I’d be shocked if any of them honor their VT commitments, esp. Silva. The Wildcat boosters have probably already arranged apartments for all of them. And those girls have far deeper personal relationships with CKB than their connections with Virginia Tech. Let’s face it: This is what VT and other second-tier schools are facing going forward in all sports. And it’s likely to get worse. If football wins 9 games this year, and there’s an opening at a big-time program (like Penn St) Pry will be gone too. All that folksy “This is home” schtick sounds great. Until they leave. Sorry for the pessimistic rant, but I needed to vent.
I wish I could disagree with any of that.
My trips to VT I do several things. watch games, hit some restaurants and often hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail: very soulful for me. The last one will always be there for me.
Yeah schools like KY are pretty much nothing but vultures these days.
No other P5 school is hiring Pry right now. But you are right in your assessment of how things are trending in college sports. If there was any position we could have bit the bullet and paid to keep a coach, it could have been women’s bball, because it is not the same as paying a fb or men’s hoops coach. I fear it will financially hurt us more to not pay KB than to just pay him. Ticket sales can evaporate fast. If we lose recruits and players on this team, then we will sink back to a bad team and no attendance quicker than the build took to get to success
And why stop there, poach our nationally ranked softball coach and team as well. Kentucky is trash! SEC is trash but hey if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
Wes Moore turned down an offer, from UT, in 2019. He saw the commitment being made in NCSU WBB. Evidently, we don’t have that same commitment. Brooks makes close what Wes is making. Sad.,
This is a full blown sucker punch for sure.
I don’t think this is a true Whitt fail (as much as I’d love to hate on someone right now!)
As my daughter said there is a puzzle piece we do not have/see (may never have)….maybe facilities/NILs, assistant coach salaries like CFB years ago with UNC. (Not kidding: maybe as a kid he secretly dreamed of coaching a school like at Kentucky/Duke with a massive bb history) Shoot, maybe there was family stuff that we aren’t aware of. I seriously do not think it was purely a head coaching salary based decision. I’m guessing VT no matter what we offered just wasn’t going to be able to fill it.
I wont lie, I’ll be able to take the blow a lot easier if he respects VT like he says he does and just leaves, by himself no players/no coaches. Please be kind enough and allow a coach to come in and not have to start at ground zero…obviously we won’t get the incoming class, but please don’t take the current players and coaches. Give VT and the new coach a fighting chance to keep the current players out of the portal and encourage the coaches he/she feels works within his/her new system to stay.
PS: I’m surprised that he was willing to agree to playing LSU or have to deal with the mBB fiasco in his backyard.
And I hope he saw the SEC championship refereeing (vs refs in ACC). I don’t envision it being any better (if not worse)
I wish Coach well, he did a lot for not only VT but WOMEN’s Basketball. My hope would be he doesn’t empty out the locker room. I would suspect if anyone goes it will be Georgia, and she has earned that right if she chooses. I would hope that Wenzel, Baker, Strack and Ekh stay. If those four stay along with Micheaux we have a shot for the next coach to build upon what CKB built. If we indeed have culture that means something to the players they will stay. If we don’t they will leave, simple as that. Maybe the next Coach has a vision of where we can go. Who knows we could be surprised and happy with the next man or woman. It shouldn’t matter if the ACC is not a great future. What should matter is that the SCHOOL has a plan for the future.
I’m sure Whit will find a competent coach unlike the previous hires before Kenny. However, we may lose recruits and current players to Kentucky. I certainly hope not. The big picture is that football is the moneymaker. VT must stay relevant on and off the field in football to ensure itself a spot in a major conference. That is the long game that Whit must play. He doesn’t have unlimited funds.
100
This is spot on. I hate it but being a relevant football program is all thst matters.
Unless $$ suddenly isnt the most important have, at expense of all else 😀
Maybe Whit is the reason he is leaving. They didn’t have the greatest relationship as I have been told.
Hated this news but understand KB’s decision. Babcock dropped ball on this one again…and what he should have done is give some of Mike Young’s compensation for a mediocre product in MBB and give it to KB. ACC Is imploding as we speak. Thank you Coach Brooks for elevating our programs and especially to Liz, Cayla, and GA
“…what he should have done is give some of Mike Young’s compensation for a mediocre product in MBB and give it to KB.” Yep, that’s true especially considering what I expect the MBB to play like next season
Sad but not surprising. Maybe we can get a top assistant from a South Carolina or LSU…unless they get paid more! Hoping our squad and upcoming class isn’t ravaged.
Will be interesting to see if he enjoys playing in an empty Rupp Arena, 3 or 4 K in a 20K facility will fill pretty darn empty.
Kentucky women’s basketball has it’s own arena.
Women do not play at Rupp. They play at a smaller facility.
That was recently renovated for millions and millions. Yet we can’t improve Cassell.
Liz Kitley was Kenny’s ticket to success. She is an amazing human being and secondarily an amazing basketball player. Thank you Liz for your loyalty and for contributing to our Hokie Nation happiness for five of your best years. Kenny hopped onto the first SEC boat out of here when Liz’ time was up. Loyalty it seems was submerged by an SEC pot of shiny gold & we Hokies are left with only memories. All of that Hokie Nation hooey was IMHO self serving. Will he raid our players? Of course he will. Brace yourself Hokies, it will happen!!! We will then see how he is respected here shortly thereafter.
Goodbye relevance. Welcome back mediocrity. So long to all of our best players and recruits.
Probably only a matter of time before D’Amour, Szefc, and Robie head out too. I think we can give up hope of ever winning a national title in any team sport.
Stay positive
What is there to be positive about?
Geez…may want to change your username.
“IguessitcouldalwaysbeworseVT?”
This is extremely disappointing. I fully understand following opportunities and the financial gains. But I did think he was in his dream job and that we could have made an equal financial package for him. Now he’ll probably take Georgia and some others and wreck our program.
I’d like to hear more about what Babcock did and didn’t do to keep him at VT. In my opinion this is the worst thing to happen on his watch.
Check out soon ehat he is getting paid. Babcock was not going to go there inspite of the BS he was quoted
Bottom line for me is I’m sick in my stomach. I have to stop thinking about this nightmare!
Should read “KY has a top ten recruiting class set to come in this summer”.
Truly disappointed.
Devastating. He’s a great coach and culture builder. Thank him and wish him the best.
Now we are staring at another example of how irrelevant things can become at VT and also being in the ACC.
College sports is not in a good spot nor is Tech being in the ACC.
CKB and the girls brought us great moments and so proud of their accomplishments.
Now it is basically like starting over depending on who stays. Reality is tough to take right now. (Actually for both WBB and MBB).
Hope our new coach can recruit. They’ll have to try and keep current roster and commits.
Coach Kenny Brooks is doing what ANY of us would do in his position…leave the dumpster fire ACC for the flush SEC. He MADE VT Women’s Basketball, just like he did for JMU. And my guess is he will do the same for KY. Hokies WBB was likewise a dumpster fire before Brooks. You can blame Whit, Fans, your Momma; but this is life now in the ACC! Blaming Whit for the ACC is just for haters. Working with VT finances is hard, but being in the ACC is gonna be horrible for the next several years. Buckle-up!
Thanks Kenny for making Hokie WBB so successful! Best of luck in your future.
You’re exactly right. If Kentucky or any other SEC team (or Big 10 team) wants one of our coaches bad enough, they’ll be able to keep raising the price until they outbid us. Nothing Whit, Dr. Sands, the BOV, or anyone will be able to do about it. Just a fact of the disparity in TV money. Eventually we run out of available funds and they do not. The SEC & Big 10 are the haves and everyone else is the have nots now. It’s why Florida State and Clemson are trying so hard to get out of the ACC, they understand the situation. From everything I’ve read, it doesn’t sound like legally they have much to stand on and I think they know that. But I think they feel like they have to try something and I don’t know that I can really blame them for that.
Finally a bit of rational spoken realism. Too many crying ill-will posters on this thread. CKB was loved and considered great when he coaching for us. Now that coach, a minority coach at that, feels he needs to swing while his fire is hot to better himself and take another step to elevate his staffs compensation, elevate and improve his life and most importantly challenge and build his coaching acumen at the highest level. Like Lebron leaving his home, All we do is react ike spoiled entitled B@%#&$! Sincerely love this program, I Hate to see you coach go But good luck and show us what you couldnt finish here. Some of us are watching and paying close attention.
Possible Replacements:
Coach Lindsy Hicks
Blanche Alverson
Raina Harmon
Gary Redus ll
The vitriol spewed at Kenny is because of what HE has said over and over again. And thanks for bringing race into this discussion. You are the first to do that. We are now recruiting against Kenny, playing against Kenny, and you want to wish him well? Oh and he will be stealing our players and recruits. Was Kenny paying for their educations or was VT footing that bill? I enjoyed the Kenny era but now that is done and he is the enemy, so to speak.
Yes race has relevance. Hes a unicorn….how many males, much less minority males are head womens basketball coaches of a Power5 program? Name 10?
Name 5? You get only so many opportunities in life and all opportunities are not created equal. Oh and I guess we should hate Shane Beamer and Torrian Gray too or any Hokie who’s left us? Sorry, was classmates and roommates with those guys….always family to me no matter where they go or what side of the field they are on.
Finally a spokesperson for the real world. KB leaving for the UK$$$ sucks, but who can blame him?
Saw a quote from him this season to the effect that he was “tired of playing ACC teams and dealing with ACC officials” was eager to play in NCAA. It will kill me to see Georgia,Clara, Carleigh, and others in Kentucky uniforms. Kenny can have fun dealing with Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley and SEC officials! Could have possibly brought the first Natty to Blacksburg.
We have lost a good coach who had a verry good image too, unlike a lot of the “screamers” that are out there. Tough to take this.
Fortunately though, he has been exposed. The cat is out of the bag and the image, which was merely a facade, is toast. You don’t get to talk out of both sides of your mouth for eight years of so and then keep the holy boy image. It’s done.
Truly saddened and equally disappointed in Brooks with his decision to cut bait with our HOKIES. Notice I didn’t include Coach in the previous sentence as he is no longer our coach. What a pathetic gut punch after all that his team and our fan base have been through. I completely understood Buzz’s departure to A&M as he was a Texas boy just waiting for an opening at a major Texas university. Other than money, and we’re being told that’s not the main issue, why would Brooks leave VT for Kentucky? Obviously there must have been some undercurrents within the program that I’m sure we will hear more about as time goes by. As gdot mentioned, I just hope Brooks doesn’t pull what Buzz did when he departed, basically gutting the program- only time will tell.
Buzz did NOT “gut” the program. The only Tech player that, “followef” him the A&M was Tyrece Radford and only after playing 1-season for Mike Young and legal issues in Montgomery Co. Which high-profile player did Buzz ever sign? Too much is made of Rodney Rice’s and Mike Jones’ deperatures. Rice is a PGCO,MD kid. How many people on this blog know anything about the PGCO culture? It’s urban, No “clubs” none of the social life which appeal to “urban” kids like Rice. We don’t know all the facts in play w/Jones but I suspect money and opportunity were in play. Note also, Rice did not follow Jones to his alma-mater ODU. Rice came to Tech because of Jones but stayed in MD which is in PGCO and stone’s throw from his HS, DeMatha. He was a cultural misfit just as Tech was in the BE. .
Buzz did not bother to recruit anyone his final year and we had 4 players on scholarship when Mike Young took over.
And he took some recruits and used up all the recruiting visits so Mike Young had none left to use. Pretty bad.
Very disappointing. Not so much in Kenny Brooks himself. You can’t blame him for turning down the opportunity and the payday. Disappointed in where we are in sports. Money is King. Those with the money are gonna leave the rest behind. Unfortunately, I fear Virginia Tech is going to be one of the ones left behind.
If the ACC even existing in a couple years is in doubt. Blame Coach Brooks for going to where he will have a long-term security if his successful. He will have better resources and more recruiting money to pay. But that doesn’t always guarantee success.
For *taking* not *turning down*
You are full of “BS” Longtime
I can’t wait for the Hokie club folks to call and ask for more money this year.
Liz played in 4,935 games in 5 years at Tech? That’s amazing! Jabbar only played in 1,560 games in 20 years with the NBA.
LOL, that’s minutes. I have corrected it.
Yeah, whoops. Thanks.
No wonder she busted her knee
Gosh gonna miss him, took us to new heights! Such a downer to start over, so starved to be nationally relevant, Administration need to show same financial commitment we offered KB and we’ll get a top flight coach
Va Tech is Home …until its not $$$$$….Hokies as always will support the next coach ….I expect the early games to be sellouts to support the new coach and players …as Brooks takes our players …we will recruit a coach that brings his/her players….Im thinking an upgrade with our fan support …..we can make this as positive as we want it to be💪🎾
That last sentence is devastating.
I don’t understand him quitting only to get hired at a middling SEC team. He was never all-in at Virginia Tech, he lied and wanted me to believe that he was.
I’m very disappointed in Coach Brooks.
Me too.
Me three
I agree, all we hear is VT is Home, VT is Family. Well I guess not so much when it comes to $$$. Well, here’s your hat don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
I’m sure he will pull a Buzz and take players with him. All his words about the Hokie Nation ring hollow this morning. But, the bigger culprit in this is Whit. Fire him now!
Whit is not the problem. He is a top level AD and we are lucky to have him.
Agreed, and know he has a list of potential candidates in his pocket, even before this came up.
Coach Brooks seen the big picture and where the SEC is heading. Who knows what the ACC will look like here soon. Good Luck Coach..
I fully agree, Clemson & FSU have set the example for the ACC, bye, bye..
Deeply disappointed in his decision. Players will quickly portal and recruits request release
Sorry – I hope he flops at Kentucky.
-1000;
I do NOT wish him well.
Buzz was another story.
we got our money’s worth with Buzz.
Well that’s an uninformed reaction, won’t say much here but dig a little deeper into the athletic department and Kenny and see what you find out
When Bonnie left Tech for Kansas, she was only so-so there. Probably wishes she’d stayed at Tech.
+1
I wish him only the best and will always be a CKB fan. He was great for VT and VT women’w basketball. Just hope he doesn’t pull a Buzz and try to take the team with him to KY. Guess we will know soon. Also hate it that Clemson just hired who I thought would have been a perfect replacement. Such is life. Just gotta move forward.
Buzz did NOT “take” any players w/him wheh he left in 2019. To begin with the Portal was not in play then; look @ the aTm rosters for 2019-20. No former Tech players Tyrece Radord transferred after the 20-21 season was over, in the wake of leagal issues. You can beter our 2024 class will decommmit and several of our current players will go w/KB. He created a brand in Blacksburg which could endure even given the uncertainty of the future of the ACC. Who knows what it will be in any case?
Good luck in the SEC. Great job Kenny. Next man or woman up!
Wish coach well! Hate to see him go. He was a great recruiter. and did a great deal for VT. However, I guess now we will find out if he’s the man many of us believed him to be or if he follows Buzz’s exit and destroys VT in his wake.
Oh he will take whoever he wants, yeah watch and see what a nice guy he is. Actions will speak louder than words…
Mixed emotions as you want CKB to succeed as he has been nothing short of amazing for us. It’s hard not to root for the guy – I will certainly continue to be fan and follow his career. He did his part, it is the job of our athletic dept now to move this program forward – time will tell.
You mean the AD who now has lost two high caliper hoops coaches and depending on football results, he’s batting.500 at best with football coaches.
Lost two high caliper b’ball coaches? Really? Buzz Williams was NEVER going to stay at VT long term that had nothing to do with Whit. Can we stop trying to blame the AD for everything?
I could care less how he does at Ky. I always root against the Blue Bloods. Lol.