Perspective | A Black man in the women’s Final Four, Kenny Brooks knows exactly who he is (2024)

Brooks is the only African American male head coach at a Power Five conference school. And now, after Virginia Tech won the Seattle 3 Region championship with an 84-74 victory over Ohio State on Monday night, he is one of three Black men to guide a team to the Final Four. Brooks will take the Hokies and a greater purpose with him to the sport’s grandest stage this week. The proud man who thought it best to bury the trauma of striving in a business that doesn’t see him yielded three years ago to the unapologetic, full human being that Brooks has become.

“I think I have a little bit of credibility now,” the 54-year-old said, smiling. “A little bit of equity that I can go say some things that would help people that look like me because there are a lot of them out there that are really, really good and can be really, really good for this game.”

Seven years ago, Virginia Tech Athletic Director Whit Babco*ck hired Brooks from James Madison to turn around the program. Before Brooks arrived, the Hokies had posted one winning season in the previous nine years. Brooks went 20-14 in his first season. His teams have made three straight NCAA tournament appearances, a streak that would be four straight if not for the coronavirus pandemic forcing the 2020 tournament to be shelved.

“I said, ‘If Syracuse can do it, well, why can’t we?’” Brooks remembers. “And it was great. People erupted.

“I thought I stuck my foot in my mouth. But seven years later, here we are.”

The Hokies are here, and they have a higher ceiling than that Syracuse team had. They just met the expectations of a No. 1 seed, running through four games in this region with a 14-point average margin of victory. They have won 15 straight games, making them the hottest team not named South Carolina. Virginia Tech (31-4) hasn’t lost since Jan. 26, more than two months ago.

This team dominates with poise, cohesion and execution. On Monday, the Hokies solved third-seeded Ohio State’s formidable full-court pressure defense. In the previous round, the Buckeyes had ended Connecticut’s unfathomable streak of 14 straight Final Four berths, making the Huskies seem like novices. But Virginia Tech committed just 13 turnovers and forced Ohio State to play a more conservative defensive style for portions of the game.

Because havoc wasn’t a factor, the contest turned into a wonderful offensive showcase for a while. Elizabeth Kitley, an all-American center, finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Georgia Amoore scored 24 points and made four three-pointers, but most important was her ability to break the Ohio State pressure by dribbling through it.

During a timeout early in the game, Brooks demonstrated and talked through the approach with Amoore, a swift 5-foot-6 Australian lead guard who will pull up and shoot three-pointers from almost anywhere on the court: Stay near the middle of the court. Run defenders into screens. Attack rather than tossing the ball back and forth to teammates for fear of the pressure. It was a subtle adjustment that changed the game.

“This man is so fit,” Amoore said of Brooks, who played for Lefty Driesell at James Madison from 1988 to 1991. “We have individuals, and he does the move, and I copy it exactly. I am definitely more of a visual learner. So for him to explain it — he played point guard. I’m small, so I have to use that to my advantage, but I also have to use just basic moves to blow by them. So that was a big part of it.

“The press got a bit choppy when we started passing it too much. I really just needed to break it by dribbling through it.”

Brooks rarely seems rattled. He doesn’t get lost in the emotions of the game. He’s a teacher, calm and collected, with a knack for deft in-game strategy. The players — a diverse racial, regional and international mix, with a few transfers to boot — respond to his style. They can play with freedom and personality, but there’s a clear structure and culture.

“Just the places that he’s taken it compared to where it was at when he inherited it is just insane,” Kitley said, describing what her coach has built. “I’m just so happy to be a part of that and to be able to witness all the hard work that he puts into us and the coaching staff and everything. He just has crafted everything and stuck by his vision and what he wanted, no matter what other people had to say or whatever. I think that’s so valuable in a leader, and we wouldn’t be where we are without that mind-set from him.”

The bond wouldn’t be as deep without Brooks opening up to his players. Before 2020, Brooks didn’t talk much about the challenges of being a Black man in the women’s game. Now he does. His success alone may not open doors for others like him, but his voice can keep the issue relevant. And his struggles provide valuable lessons for his team.

“A couple years ago, I wouldn’t have talked about it,” Brooks said. “I think with all the social injustices that happened a couple years ago, my responsibilities were to my players to teach them about racism — Black kids, White kids. During that time, I really opened myself up. I had to become vulnerable to them to share my experiences and the things that happened to me. Along the way, I figured and I found out that I do have a responsibility for my profession. So many people look up to me, and they will say: ‘Hey, you’re doing a great job. Hope you keep continuing to do it because it can open up doors for people like me.’

“I embrace that. I embrace that, the way we run our program, giving advice, talking about this on this platform that I have. I don’t shy away from it because I do think that Black males are good for this profession.”

After South Carolina won the national title last year, Coach Dawn Staley talked of wanting to elevate Black men in the women’s game. The words from the most influential figure in the sport resonated. They meant much to Brooks, who said Staley “gives me credibility.”

As women continue to fight for equity and respect, the concept of male leadership in these games will continue to be a hot issue. The sport has racial and gender problems to work out, but diversity doesn’t have to be at odds with itself. As always, the solution starts with opportunity.

Brooks is about to join former Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman and Cheyney State’s Winthrop McGriff on the short list of Black male head coaches at the Final Four. He belongs. Star coaches Kim Mulkey of LSU and Staley will be there, but he belongs. Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder is finally on this stage. But there is room for Brooks.

“You saw my team,” Brooks said. “They were White. They were Black. They were both. And it’s all about just being a family. I think that we have tremendous people out there that are looking for opportunities.”

It’s amazing what Brooks has done with his chance. Look at him now, taking four cautious steps up the ladder, looking more nervous than cool for a change. He can hear the crowd chanting his name again. Then officials played Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” which Virginia Tech adopted long ago.

Atop the ladder, Brooks cut down the net and danced in place. He pumped his right fist.

“I don’t know if you envision it or more if you dream it,” Brooks said. “One day, I’ll sit back and realize how hard it was for us to get here.”

This is his moment and his chance to amplify a diverse message. Kenny Brooks has so much to relish now — and even more to do.