Coach Brooks Named to Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List

HOPEWELL, N.J. – Entering his seventh season at the helm, Belmont University women's basketball leader Bart Brooks has been named to the 20-member preseason watch list for the 2024 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. In its inaugural season, the mid-major coach of the year award is named after the legendary former Harvard head coach.
 
In his first six seasons, coach Brooks has led the Bruins to nine combined conference championships, including regular season and league tournament titles. In Belmont's first season in the Missouri Valley Conference last year, Brooks guided the Bruins to their sixth regular season conference championship in seven seasons. Putting together an impressive 16-game winning streak from Jan. 20-March 12, Belmont went 17-3 against the Valley and finished 23-12 overall.
 
With Brooks in charge, the Bruins have posted a remarkable record of 146-46 (.760), reached four NCAA Tournaments and won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament games with back-to-back trips to the Round of 32 in 2021 and 2022. The third-fastest head coach to 100 career victories in NCAA Division I women's basketball history, Brooks owns an astounding record of 111-14 (.888) against conference opponents, including conference tournament games. He ranks among the top 10 of active Division I head coaches in terms of winning percentage.
 
A two-time Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) and Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Brooks has gone 97-12 (.890) in conference play through six seasons. He has led Belmont to an impressive 14-2 record in league tournament games, including a 4-1 mark in championship matchups, and the Bruins are an exceptional 65-11 (.855) inside the Curb Event Center with Brooks at the reins.
 
Since Brooks' arrival in the Music City, Belmont has been at its best when it matters most with a record of 69-10 (.873) during the two key months of February and March.
 
Brooks is one of three MVC head coaches selected to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List as he is joined by Illinois State's Kristen Gillespie and Northern Iowa's Tanya Warren.
 
After reaching their third-straight conference tournament title game at the MVC Tournament last March, the Bruins earned their 10th national postseason bid in 11 seasons. Belmont received an at-large bid to the 2023 Postseason WNIT where the Bruins made their third WNIT appearance and first since 2014.
 
Belmont is one of only 11 teams in the country to have won 20 or more games for eight-straight seasons. Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20 or more games for eight consecutive seasons in both women's and men's basketball.
 
Brooks was tabbed Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Spalding Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year following his first year shepherding the Bruins in 2017-18.
 
With Brooks annually putting together one of the strongest non-conference schedules in the country, Belmont opens its 2023-24 campaign this Monday at the University of Missouri. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, is set for 11:30 a.m.
 
Taking on three Southeastern Conference opponents in its first four games of the season, the Bruins' home opener is next Friday, Nov. 10 against receiving-votes Georgia.
 
Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Eligibility and Schedule
To be eligible for the award, coaches must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major". The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award, and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC. Interim head coaches are eligible, although total games coached will be taken into consideration.
 
In January, the 10-person midseason watch list will be announced. The five finalists for the award will be announced in March, with the winner being named around the Final Four. Coaches will be assessed across the entire season, including postseason play. Beyond on-court success, other factors such as recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries, and tactical coaching will also be weighed when assessing each candidate. Inclusion on previous watch lists is not a requirement to be considered for future watch lists.
 
About Kathy Delaney-Smith
Delaney-Smith's Harvard teams compiled a record of 630-434 (.592) in her 40-year career, including a 367-168 (.685) record in Ivy League play. Delaney-Smith's 630 wins rank 29th in Division I history, and ninth among coaches who spent their entire career with a single team.
 
Delaney-Smith led her teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances and nine WNIT appearances, plus three Ivy League titles before the NCAA Tournament awarded automatic bids to the Ivy League champion. She has coached eight Ivy League Player of the Year recipients, six Ivy League Rookie of the Year winners, and all 21 of Harvard's 1,000-point scorers in program history.
 
Delaney-Smith was inducted into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986, becoming the first woman to ever be inducted, with more than three decades of her career still ahead of her. She was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
 
A native of Newton, Mass., Delaney-Smith is also among the most accomplished high school players and coaches in the state's history. She was the first woman in state history to score 1,000 points while at Sacred Heart High School. As a high school coach, Delaney-Smith coached Westwood High School to an overall record of 204-31 across 11 seasons, including a 96-game winning streak.
 
About Her Hoop Stats
Her Hoop Stats was founded in 2017 to unlock better insight about women's basketball at all levels. We began as a statistics site focused on providing consistent, reliable, and easy-to-access data about women's basketball for both mobile and desktop environments. Her Hoop Stats has expanded to become a leading independent voice in the women's game providing content through our newsletter, podcast network, YouTube channel, and social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
 
Belmont Basketball Ticket Information
Both single game and season tickets are on sale now. Season tickets are only $199 per seat and include all women's and men's basketball home games.
 
View available seating and purchase your seats.
 
Flex pack plans for the 2023-24 season area also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media - @BelmontWBB on Twitter, @belmontwbb on Instagram and Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.