Virginia Tech's Babco*ck feels 'good' about keeping Brooks (2024)

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babco*ck expressed optimism Sunday night that the school will be able to keep women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks.

Matt Jones, a sports radio host in Kentucky, had tweeted Wednesday that Brooks was a candidate for the vacant Kentucky job. Jones tweeted Wednesday that he believed Brooks had interviewed with Kentucky in the “last couple of days.”

How worried or not is Babco*ck about Kentucky hiring away Brooks?

“You always are concerned with things such as that,” Babco*ck said in an interview after Tech’s NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Baylor on Sunday night. “We certainly believe in Kenny. He knows how important he is to us. I know that he loves and appreciates Virginia Tech. He’s been communicative. We feel good about it. You never take it for granted, but I’d say it’s in a good spot.”

Has Brooks told Babco*ck that he interviewed with Kentucky?

“You’ll have to ask him about that,” Babco*ck said. “But he’s been open. I don’t know that it’s everything that it’s reported to be and I take him at his word.”

Kentucky is a Southeastern Conference school with deep pockets. Does Babco*ck view this week as the time when he needs to find the money to keep Brooks?

“You look at holistically, just like you do every season, but admittedly this one will be fast-tracked,” Babco*ck said. “It’s security and [a] package for the coach. It’s recruiting, it’s budget. We feel really good and competitive where the contract was [extended] last year, but certainly the door’s open on that.”

Brooks steered Tech to the 2023 ACC Tournament title, the 2023 Final Four and this year’s ACC regular-season title. He concluded his eighth season with the Hokies on Sunday night.

Brooks signed a three-year contract extension in July that runs through the 2028-29 season. The deal gives him $6.4 million in total pay over those six years, including the 2023-24 season.

For the second year of the deal — the 12-month period beginning April 1 and ending in March 2025 — Brooks is set to reap $975,000 in total pay, including a $700,000 salary and $275,000 in supplemental pay.

He will get $1.2 million in the final year of the deal, including an $800,000 salary and $400,000 in supplemental pay.

Does Babco*ck feel he needs to sweeten the deal by a certain sum to keep Brooks from going to Kentucky?

“I wouldn’t say that, no,” Babco*ck said.

Is Babco*ck optimistic that the loss to Baylor was not Brooks’ final game at Tech?

“You never take it for granted, but I do sincerely know that he was incredibly focused on coaching, that this place means a lot to him, that he’s grateful to the fan base. And it certainly has our full attention,” Babco*ck said.

It has Babco*ck’s full attention because he feels there is a school that wants to hire away Brooks?

“It has your full attention. Coaches want to be where they’re celebrated and not tolerated,” Babco*ck said. “Kenny certainly knows he’s celebrated here.”

Does Babco*ck feel Tech has enough revenue to be in the fight to keep Brooks?

“I do,” Babco*ck said. “Money is certainly important, but it’s not the only thing. We certainly don’t take him for granted and grateful that he’s here. Feel good about the prospect of continuing it. But we don’t take him for granted or take the situation for granted.”

Will Babco*ck know in the next few days whether Brooks will be sticking around?

“I would certainly think so,” Babco*ck said. “It’s not just the situation at hand. You also have a transfer portal window that opens. Unfortunately, it’s a sign of the times where other schools or any school wants to move very quickly.”

Does Brooks have all the information he needs to make a decision and the ball is now in his court?

“I wouldn’t say that it’s to that point,” Babco*ck said. “It has our attention and the dialogue has been good and I’m sure we’ll talk [Monday].”

Babco*ck said he has already been talking to Brooks “here and there.”

“Kenny’s been available,” Babco*ck said. “It’s been favorable.

“We’ll see and it’s an important week but we feel good about it.

“We certainly understand how important it is to the fan base, the community, the visibility of the university.”

Do the fans need to open up their checkbooks to help Babco*ck keep Brooks?

“We always need that,” Babco*ck said. “No, our fan base is tremendous and very generous.”

Brooks’ buyout is only $750,000 if he leaves before April 1, 2025 — a sum that won’t be hard for Kentucky to come up with.

Jones’ tweet was brought up to Brooks at his pre-tournament news conference Thursday. Brooks was asked Thursday if he had talked to Kentucky.

“Right now there is a lot of speculation and talking and whatever. Obviously, if you have success people are interested, but again, my focus is what we’re doing right now,” Brooks said Thursday. “My kids are the most important thing to me. I have not heard [about] that [tweet] or the radio host or whoever you’re talking about, but right now I’m about to go to practice and we’re going to go out here and Marshall is the only thing on my mind other than the Hokies.”

Does that mean he has not talked to Kentucky?

“I just told you what I said. I have not heard that [tweet],” Brooks said Thursday. “We’ll leave it at that.”