Sally Brooks steps down

If athletic director Sean Johnson thinks finding one new basketball coach will be difficult, he’ll have his hands full finding two.


Sally Brooks announced that she would not return to ASU for the following basketball season as the women’s head basketball coach on Saturday, March 9.


Brooks made her decision after the ‘Belles were bounced out in the first round of the Lone Star Conference tournament with a 61-36 loss to West Texas A&M University.


In the week prior to the tournament, ASU decided that they would not retain men’s head basketball coach Fred Rike after a 7-19 season.


The ‘Belles under Brooks managed to become the sixth seed in the tournament after a 14-13 regular season that included winning their last six games in a row.


No one in the basketball department has been available for comment.


Brooks ends her tenure at ASU after 13 years as head basketball coach.


Before ASU, Brooks was the head basketball coach at the University of the Incarnate Word for nine years, so she will walk away with 22 years as a head coach under her belt.


Brooks’ career coaching record is 406-234 with a split of 251-128 at ASU.


During the 2013 season, the ‘Belles defeated Eastern New Mexico University 54-47, which gave Brooks her 400th career win as a Division II women’s basketball coach.


The Brooks-era at ASU has had moments of dominant success with Brooks coaching her teams to seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament from 2002-2008.


Brooks also led her team to four Lone Star Conference South Division titles (2001-03; 2005) and three Lone Star Conference Tournament Championships (2002, 2004-05).


Brooks was recognized for her work, and was named the Lone Star Conference Southern Division Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2005.