I'm appreciative of what Brooks did here...
I'm not going to focus on the details of his departure as I don't know the reasons.
What I do know is he represented our university with class and built the program to unparalleled heights. He was a great ambassador where student athletes excelled academically and athletically. The kids he recruited and kept on the roster were so easy to root for as they seemed genuinely nice with great heads on their shoulders. Brooks made VT women's basketball fun to watch, and gave us some incredible memories. VT is in better shape today then when he took the position, as he showed what can be built at VT and the potential fan support.
Yes, it's incredibly disappointing he left, as I believe he had a unique opportunity to build a truly incredible legacy here, similar to what Geno did at Uconn, Summit did at Tennessee, or Beamer did at VT for football. I felt he was on the cusp of greatness with the buzz and recruiting, and you only get one shot to cement your name with a school, as it takes one to two decades to achieve it.
One thing to consider though is expectations get very difficult to sustain when you succeed (eg: look at Beamer). It's a reasonable career strategy when it comes to coaching these days, which is go to a program that is down and build it up, and then leave before you outstay your welcome with down years.
Best of luck to Brooks as he felt this was no longer the place for him, for whatever reason.
Time to move forward.
** Edited by jesuisvtguy at 3/26/2024, 8:38:02 PM
4 Replies
2y
Worse than when he came because we tasted, sniffed the top. Now it’s start all over again time
(In response to this post by jesuisvtguy)
2y
becoming obsolete with the style of play (aka thuggery) being allowed on the court, especially with the new rules on charges, etc. Athletic teams seemed to always give us fits recently and we rarely had an answer except to go zone.
The WBB is changing fast. Will he adjust at KY? It will be an interesting watch.
(In response to this post by jesuisvtguy)
M
Marooned
2y
disingenuous in dealing with recruits. At some point, you have to have confidence that the resources are good enough, the opportunity is good enough and your skills and motivation are good enough to reach the summit however you define it. I doubt his summit was the final four.
(In response to this post by jesuisvtguy)
P
PapaNick
2y
Great perspective AND a positive outlook. If CKB is correct, - and I think he is - a full Cassell with the Cassell Guard in place (and maybe a little bacon) “makes a good team great” and the new coach with new players will believe they made the right choice.
This doesn’t guarantee wins, at least not right away, but it will attract top players in the future.
Let’s pack the Cassell!!
(In response to this post by jesuisvtguy)