Yo, listen up—Kenny Brooks, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball head coach, just got tapped for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List, courtesy of The Atlanta Tipoff Club and AXIA Time. Man’s out here makin’ waves!
He’s one of 15 coaches on the list, holdin’ it down as one of six from the SEC. They droppin’ 10 semifinalists on March 13, then five finalists on March 18, with the big winner crowned April 2. Brooks got Big Blue Nation hyped!
Brooks just notched his 20th W at UK, givin’ the program its first 20-plus win season in five years. That’s his 19th 20-win season in 23 years as a head coach—dude’s a vet! He tied the late Terry Hall for the fastest to 20 wins at UK, hittin’ it in just 24 games. Speedy, fam!
From day one in the Bluegrass, Brooks been flexin’. Put together a killer staff, recruited 11 players—all from outside the SEC—and turned heads. Then he smashed the nonconference slate. UK held its first three opponents to 43 points or less—just the second time in program history, last seen in ‘74-75. They also won those games by 29 or more, only the third time ever—‘11-12, ‘17-18, and now ‘24-25.
November? UK went 7-0, first time since ‘19-20, and beat all seven by at least 10, first since ‘13-14. Brooks joined Hall as the only coaches to start their UK run undefeated through seven—Hall went nine deep in ‘80-81. Wildcats also went 2-0 against ranked foes in November, snappin’ a drought since ‘16-17 and makin’ history as the first time UK took down two AP-ranked teams that month.
One of those was a banger—No. 20/19 UK ended a seven-game skid against No. 18/18 Louisville, 71-61, in OT on November 16 at a sold-out Memorial Coliseum. Biggest OT win margin in UK’s 32 overtime dubs, first W over the Cards since 2015, and their first ranked scalp since beatin’ No. 1 South Carolina for the ‘22 SEC title.
Brooks flipped the script to SEC play with a statement—91-69 over Mississippi State on January 2. Most points ever in a league opener, biggest margin too (22). Cats broke the school record with 18 triples, shootin’ 54.4% from deep (18-of-33)—lights out!
UK started 5-0 in the SEC, third-best league kickoff ever, and 16-1 overall, third-best one-loss start in history. Now they’re 20-4, 9-3 in the SEC, sittin’ fourth in the 16-team standings. Last Sunday’s W over Georgia was their seventh SEC blowout by 14 or more, second-most in a single season ever.
Brooks’ roster rebuild? Straight fire. They reset the single-game trey record (18) vs. Mississippi State. Clara Strack smashed the single-game blocks record (8) at Ole Miss. Team’s 14 blocks from toppin’ the season record (181), and Strack’s five away from the individual mark (66). Georgia Amoore’s on pace to break the assists-per-game record (7.2), 38 dimes from the season total (172), and she tied the single-game points record (43) at Oklahoma earlier. Records droppin’ like fades in here!
Off the court, Brooks got the fans wild—season tickets sold out pre-tip, and four home games, includin’ the last three, sold out early. UK’s got four regular-season games left, then it’s SEC Tournament time in Greenville, South Carolina, March 5-9. Brooks got the Cats cuttin’ up—y’all think he’s snaggin’ that Naismith? Holla at me!
