New Nutter Field House Playing Surface Named Rich and Karen Brooks Field
The University of Kentucky football program has decided to honor former head coach Rich Brooks and his wife Karen in its new facility renovations.
As Nutter Field House receives much-needed upgrades this offseason, UK Athletics has announced that a gift by donors Brett and Billie Jo Setzer allowed the playing surface inside that facility to be named Rich and Karen Brooks Field. It’s the second such honor for Brooks, who also saw the University of Oregon name its playing surface, inside Autzen Stadium, Rich Brooks Field.
“It’s obviously a very special moment,” Brooks said of being informed about this accolade. “It’s just a wonderful honor and I’m very grateful.”
Brooks, the head coach from 2003-09, came in when the program was on probation with limited scholarships and resources. It took a complete multi-year rebuild before things took off, with the veteran coach leading the Wildcats to four consecutive bowls, winning the first three.
“Once we did (get over the hump), we were able to beat Clemson in the Music City Bowl, then turn around and beat Florida State in the Music City Bowl, then beat East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl,” Brooks said. “Unfortunately, I lost my last one, to Clemson.”
Brooks acknowledged it was a tough hill to climb at Oregon and Kentucky — “I will remind you that I also had ‘Ditch Rich’ bumper stickers and t-shirts sold in the parking lots at football games at both places,” he joked — but the payoff was well worth the wait.
“There is humility that does come along with the honor of having such a special thing done in our game,” he said.
The legacy he hopes to leave? The importance of relationships and player development during his time in Lexington.
“To me, my legacy, I hope, is the association with players, their development, their life after playing football, their families, their jobs, their successes,” Brooks said. “And I do run into quite a few of them from time to time and that is the pleasure of what I’ve been able to do in coaching is just seeing them in their environment today as grownups.”
The Nutter Field House renovations — including the newly-named Rich and Karen Brooks Field — is slated to be complete by the time football practice begins in August.
A well-deserved honor.
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