Kentucky interviews Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks for head coaching opening

Kentucky fired women’s basketball coach Kyra Elzy after finishing 12-20 this season and missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season.

Now, athletic director Mitch Barnhart has begun a nationwide search for the Wildcats’ new WBB coach. According to KSR’s Matt Jones, one major name is being legitimately considered for the position.

“Hearing that UK is looking at 3-4 candidates for the Women’s Basketball job,” Jones wrote on X. “The only candidate I can confirm is Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks, who I believe has interviewed in last couple of days.”

Brooks currently has the Hokies as a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament, entering the big dance with a 24-7 record. However, as Jones reports, it seems as though the Wildcats are still keeping their options open during the early stages of their search.

Still, Kentucky hasn’t been able to maintain the same consistency it had under former head coach Matthew Mitchell, the winningest coach in Kentucky WBB history, as four years under Elzy’s guide, Kentucky recorded just a 61-60 record, making the NCAA Tournament in just two out of those four seasons.

Kyra Elzy’s crowning achievement in her four years at Kentucky came in the 2021-22 season when she led the ‘Cats on an improbable run through the SEC Tournament, highlighted by a triumph over No. 1 South Carolina to secure the SEC Crown. However, after Kentucky lost former No. 1 draft pick Rhyne Howard, Kentucky would never restock the program with similar talent under Elzy.

For Brooks, he had amassed an impressive 179-81 record (.688) since becoming Hokies head coach in 2016. Before he was coaching in Blacksburg, Brooks was head coach at his alma mater, James Madison from 2003 until leaving for Virginia Tech in 2016.

One season removed from a Final Four appearance — the Wildcats could be looking to poach Brooks from his spot at VT and into the SEC to play national stalwarts like South Carolina and LSU, among others, on a weekly basis.

For now, Brooks will be completely focused on leading his Virginia Tech squad into the NCAA Tournament as they prepare for 13-seed Marshall. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday live on ESPN2. The Hokies are 12.5-point favorites over the Thundering Herd, according to FanDuel Sportsbook — a game Big Blue Nation might want to tune in to, getting a potential first look a who might lead their Cats into battle next season.