Virginia Tech womens basketball coach Kenny Brooks signs extension through 2029: What it means fo

Virginia Tech women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks signed a three-year contract extension Monday, athletic director Whit Babcock announced. Here’s what you need to know:

The extension will keep Brooks with the Hokies through the 2028-29 season.
The contract includes a six-year deal totaling $6.4 million, plus other enhancements made to support staff salaries, assistant coach salary pool, postseason bonuses and operating budget, according to the school.
Brooks, 54, led Virginia Tech to its first ACC title and first Final Four appearance this past season.

🐐✍️➡️ 2029

Whit Babcock announces contract extension for @CoachBrooksVT #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/pEoW4exn7s

— Virginia Tech Women's Basketball (@HokiesWBB) July 24, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Brooks will look to build on ‘dream’ Final Four run in future seasons

On the night Virginia Tech defeated Ohio State to stamp the program’s first-ever Final Four berth, Brooks said that getting the Hokies to the third weekend of the NCAA tournament was the fulfillment of something that was once “more of a dream.” Brooks likes to say he’s a “Virginia guy,” having never left the state for a collegiate coaching opportunity since he began his career in 1993. His extension further solidifies that fact, keeping him with the program through, at least, 2029.

When Brooks took over Virginia Tech in 2016, it was a bottom-feeder in the ACC, but Brooks has brought stability and success. He’s not going anywhere, which is positive for a program looking to continue contending in one of the sport’s top conferences. — Pickman

How good could Virginia Tech be this upcoming season?

As Virginia Tech’s tournament run concluded, there were questions about how good it would be this season as, among other uncertainties, center Elizabeth Kitley could have entered the WNBA. However, Kitley, the two-time ACC Player of the Year, elected to return; as a result, the Hokies’ top two players, her and guard Georgia Amoore, will both be in uniform.

Veteran guard Cayla King is also returning, meaning three of the team’s starters will be back. The departures of Taylor Soule and Katana Traylor could be significant, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Virginia Tech be among the ACC’s top teams, and a dangerous team in March yet again. — Pickman

What they’re saying

“Kenny Brooks and his staff’s commitment to Virginia Tech and women’s basketball exemplifies hard work, determination and dedication to excellence and sets the standard for what college sports should be regarding academics, character and performance,” Babcock said in a release. “Coach Brooks has revitalized our women’s basketball program and enriched numerous lives through his impactful leadership. I join our fans in excitement as we look forward to the future success of Virginia Tech women’s basketball.”

Backstory

Virginia Tech went 31-5 last season (14-4 in ACC play) and earned a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Hokies rode a 15-game win streak to the program’s first Final Four berth, falling to eventual national champion LSU 79-72 in the national semifinal.

Brooks, who has compiled a 155-74 overall record at Virginia Tech, will enter his eighth season as head coach in 2023-24. Before joining the Hokies, Brooks coached 14 seasons at James Madison.

Required reading

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)