Virginia Tech's Kenny Brooks first Black women's coach to win ACC tournament

Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks became the first Black head coach to win the ACC women's basketball tournament crown on Sunday when his 3-seed Hokies defeated the 4-seed Louisville Cardinals, 75-67.

With the win, Virginia Tech is projected to move up to the 1-line in the NCAA tournament bracket, according to ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme. The Hokies took down 6-seed Miami and 2-seed Duke this weekend in Greensboro prior to prevailing over the Cardinals and securing their first ACC tournament title. Virginia Tech had never appeared in an ACC tournament championship game before Sunday.

Brooks' accomplishment comes days after Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey became the first Black coach to win the conference's regular season championship.

Brooks, who was hired in Blacksburg ahead of the 2016-17 season following a successful career at James Madison, has made Virginia Tech a national contender after years of irrelevance. Since he took over at the helm, the Hokies have appeared in the WNIT or NCAA tournament each season, and with the win Sunday have locked up a third consecutive appearance in the latter.

«This honor, I didn't know it until they told me after the game. If you'd asked me about 5, 10 years ago, I wouldn't have embraced it as much. Honestly, being a Black head coach in a women's sport, it is tough. It really is,» Brooks said, noting that he is the only Black male head coach at the Power Five level. «I think that there are coaches out there that are definitely worthy of an opportunity. So for me, I've embraced that role. I've embraced it when people come up to me, other coaches, when they text me, when they DM me.»

Brooks said that what really «opened his eyes» to his unique position in the sport was how