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

HOPEWELL, N.J. – For the second consecutive year, Belmont University women's basketball program leader Bart Brooks has been named to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. Entering his eighth season at the helm, Brooks is one of 20 head coaches on the watch list for the 2025 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.
 
In its second season of existence, the mid-major coach of the year award is named after the legendary former Harvard head coach. The preseason watch list was announced by Her Hoop Stats Wednesday morning.
 
Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier won the inaugural Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award this past spring.
 
The 20-member preseason watch list includes head coaches from at least two of the Bruins' opponents this season, including fellow Missouri Valley Conference head coach Allison Pohlman of Drake. Middle Tennessee leader Rick Insell and Davidson head coach Gayle Fulks also appear on the mid-major coach of the year watch list. Belmont may face the Wildcats at the 2024 Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida in November.
 
Over the last seven years, Brooks has taken the Bruins to unprecedented heights as he has led Belmont to nine combined conference championships, including regular season and league tournament titles. Additionally, Brooks has directed Belmont to four of the last six NCAA Tournaments with back-to-back Round of 32 appearances in 2022 and 2021.
 
On Nov. 29, 2023, Brooks picked up his 150th win in less than 200 career games with the Bruins' 72-68 victory at Troy. He has led Belmont to a remarkable record of 172-55 (.758) in seven seasons and the Bruins are an astonishing 114-15 (.884) in conference games under his leadership.
 
In conference tournament games, Brooks has gone 15-3 and he is 4-1 in championship contests. In the key months of February and March, Brooks is 79-14 (.849).
 
With Brooks in charge, Belmont has finished either first or second in its conference for seven-straight seasons.
 
Under Brooks' tutelage, 13 different players have garnered all-conference accolades, including eight who have been first-team selections. Brooks has also mentored two conference freshmen of the year, two conference defensive players of the year and a conference player of the year.
 
Last season, the Bruins put together 26 wins and claimed their third national postseason victory in four years with a 77-59 road win at Ball State in the first-ever Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) game. Belmont has earned a national postseason bid in 11 of the last 12 seasons.
 
The Bruins are one of only 10 programs in the nation to have won 20 or more games for nine-straight seasons.
 
The winningest program in the state of Tennessee over the last 10 years, Belmont (11) is one of only five programs to have won more than 10 combined conference championships over the last eight seasons.
 
Brooks annually puts together one of the best non-conference schedules in the nation and this season is no different. The Bruins will take on six, and possibly seven, power conference programs in 2024-25. In fact, Belmont will go up against three teams who are ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 preseason poll within the first three weeks of the season – No. 13 Kansas State (Nov. 7), No. 14 Ohio State (Nov. 17) and No. 11 Duke (Nov. 21).
 
The Bruins' much-anticipated season gets underway on Thursday, Nov. 7 in Manhattan, Kansas, at Big 12 Conference member Kansas State.
 
Belmont's home opener is set for Thursday, Nov. 14 against Kennesaw State. The top-15 ranked Buckeyes and receiving-votes Middle Tennessee (Dec. 7) also visit the Curb Event Center this season.
 
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, and SEC. Additionally, Oregon State and Washington State are ineligible this year as membership in the Pac-12 Conference evolves. Interim head coaches are eligible, although total games coached will be taken into consideration.
 
The 10-person midseason watch list will be announced in January. 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 32nd 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 22 of Harvard's 1,000-point scorers in the program's NCAA Division I 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, Massachusetts, 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. It 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 its newsletter, podcast network, YouTube channel, and social media accounts (X, Facebook, Instagram).
 
Ticket Info
Season tickets are on sale now for $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 2024-25 season are 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 X, formerly 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.