'When I did get the call, I just prayed a lot.' Kenny Brooks opens up on decision to take Kentucky job

When Kenny Brooks was hired as the head coach of Kentucky women’s basketball on March 26, 2024, his world flipped upside down.

At that moment in time, he had just come off a season in which Virginia Tech went 14-4 in the ACC as they were crowned conference regular season champions. Unfortunately, their star player, Elizabeth Kitley, had suffered a torn ACL that sent their hopes at a return to the Final Four down the drain. Their season — and Brooks’ run in Blacksburg — would come to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Baylor.

Of course, when Mitch Barnhart and UK came calling, he had a decision to make — stay at Virginia Tech or jump ship to Kentucky? That moment in time had Brooks’ head spinning, to say the least. It didn’t help that his wife, Chrissy, was still undergoing cancer treatment at the time.

“It was a whirlwind,” Brooks told KSR in his interview on The Memorial Memo. “It was a very emotional time for me. I think it’s well-documented that my wife was going through a medical situation, and then also, just two weeks prior, lost my best player to a season-ending injury that really derailed our hopes of going far in the NCAA Tournament. So, it was a very emotional time for me.”

It took some consolation with his family and the man above before he could make his final decision.

“When I did get the call, I just prayed a lot. Prayed a lot, talked with my family a lot about the situation, had an open mind to it,” Brooks added. “Then, we went in, and everything was good that I heard, so I wanted to continue listening and then continue with prayer. I talked to my wife, she was on board, even in her state. So, we decided to take that leap of faith and come to Kentucky, and I’m glad we did.”

The choice to leave didn’t come without some harsh criticism from Virginia Tech fans. In their eyes, Brooks had abandoned them after eight years together — vanishing and running away. However, Brooks had more important things to worry about at that time. Things that transcend the game of basketball.

“Sometimes, I look back and wonder why did I do it as crazy as I was doing it,” he explained. “Then, you add in the animosity that the Virginia Tech fans had for leaving, and they were looking for anything they could latch onto it. All the while, the most important thing for me was family.”

He continued, “I remember catching a lot of grief for not going to the WNBA Draft last year, but people don’t know that I had to be at my wife’s treatment the very next morning, and I didn’t have a private jet to get me from one place to another, and family was the most important thing to me. I had never missed a treatment with her, and I wasn’t going to miss a treatment with her. I’m glad I never missed a treatment with her, and that’s the most important thing to me.”

That final season at Virginia Tech was a trying one, given the circumstances. However, even with everything that Chrissy was going through, she was there by Brooks’ side the whole way. Ultimately, she’d practically have the final say in his decision to switch positions.

“It was a very difficult time, very difficult season last year because for the first three or four months of her being diagnosed, we kept it to ourselves — I say ourselves, just me and Chrissy,” Brooks mentioned. “So, I was going through a season with that on my chest, and then when we finally told people, the power of prayer really helped us through it. Then, once we were starting to get through it, then I upended us and came to Kentucky. So, it was very difficult, but she was very, very supportive. She knew that this was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. So, she was on board and gave me the thumbs up.”

“Well, it’s funny because everyone kept saying, ‘Oh, he’ll never leave’. When I was at James Madison, they were like ‘He’ll never leave. He’s a Virginia boy.’ Then, I went to Virginia Tech — ‘Well, he’ll never leave’,” Brooks further noted. “Through my profession, I travel all the time. So, it’s not like you’re just deep-rooted in a place that you never leave the city limits. To look at different ventures, you’re always one step ahead because in our world, you don’t have weeks and months to ponder whether you’re going to stay or go. You have a few days, essentially.”

Since he’s made the move, he’s come to find out that Virginia and Kentucky aren’t so different after all. Well, that is, except for the fanbases.

“You’re always thinking about,” Brooks said. “It was always on my mind that it could happen, so leaving the commonwealth and coming to Kentucky, there’s not a lot of difference. There’s not. It’s just the colors of the uniform. The fanbases are very avid in what they support — Kentucky is a little bit different, but it hasn’t been that much of an adjustment.”

How is Kentucky different, you may ask?

“[Big Blue Nation is] everywhere, but I’ve said it 100 times, they’re a very respectful fanbase,” Brooks answered. “I can be out, and I don’t feel like you’re being bothered. You’re just being acknowledged, and celebrated is too strong of a word, but they love their basketball. They’re very appreciative of what you do and your time that you give to the profession. It’s been a joy, it really has.”

“Whether I’ve been to Keeneland, Kroger, The Summit or wherever, everyone’s been very, very respectful, and you always want to know that people are paying attention, and they are,” he said. “They pay attention and they are very knowledgeable and not just in the game, but what you’re doing — who you’e recruiting, what situations — and that’s what you want, especially in women’s basketball. We fought so hard for recognition, and now, when you have a fanbase that is really following your every move, that’s a good thing. It keeps good pressure on you to.”

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Want more Kentucky WBB Transfer Portal Coverage? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy transfer portal season for the Kentucky women’s basketball program, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.