NIU tabs Jacey Brooks as women’s basketball head coach

NIU announced Tuesday that former Buffalo assistant Jacey Brooks has been named women’s head basketball coach, taking over for Lisa Carlsen.

It is the first NCAA Division I head coaching job for Brooks. She spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Bulls, who made the WNIT both years. They play in the WNIT semifinals on Wednesday. Brooks will be the 11th coach in NIU program history

Previously, she was the head coach at Division III SUNY Cortland for four seasons. She led the Red Dragons to tournament berths in each of her final three years.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to become the next head women’s basketball coach at Northern Illinois University,” Brooks said in a statement. “I’m committed to developing these young women holistically and making a positive impact in the classroom, on the court, and in the community. We’re going to build a team that’s tough, resilient and plays with heart. This is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to get to work.”

The school will host a news conference to formally introduce Brooks. No date has been set.

In addition to Buffalo, Brooks coached in the MAC as an assistant at Bowling Green for the five years before heading to SUNY Cortland in 2018.

She will coach one year in the MAC before the program joins the other NIU sports – aside from football, wrestling and gymnastics – in the Horizon League.

Brooks played college ball at Buffalo State and is the Bengals’ seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,219 points.

She will replace Carlsen, who parted ways with the Huskies in March after 10 years with the school.