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“I am incredibly excited and honored to become the next head women’s basketball coach at Northern Illinois University,” Brooks said upon her hiring. “I would like to thank President Dr. Lisa Freeman, Vice President and Director of Athletics Sean Frazier, and Senior Associate Athletic Director Chris Barker for entrusting me with the privilege of bringing this program back to prominence.
“I’m committed to developing these young women holistically and making a positive impact in the classroom, on the court, and in the community,” Brooks continued. “We’re going to build a team that’s tough, resilient and plays with heart. This is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Prior to her time at Buffalo, Brooks was a highly decorated head coach at Division III SUNY Cortland, where she posted a 79-32 record as the head coach from 2018-23. Brooks led the Red Dragons to a trio of 20-win seasons along with three trips to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Brooks began her coaching career as the director of basketball operations at St. Bonaventure in 2007, before being elevated to an assistant coaching position in 2009. She then spent three years as an assistant coach at Canisius College before taking her first job in the Mid-American Conference as an assistant at Bowling Green.
As both a head coach and an assistant, Brooks knows one thing that is an absolute necessity for success, and that is playing hard.
“I know I am walking into a solid foundation, which I am excited about, but I need to continue to build that,” Brooks said at her introductory press conference. “From an X’s and O’s standpoint, from a basketball philosophy, you have to play hard to play for me. Then developing what I want to do offensively and defensively, to mold the current players into what I’m looking for and also bring in players that already have those things so that we can really develop in the first year.”