Brooke Rhodes completed her first year as the Associate Head Coach for the Western Carolina women's basketball team after joining the program in in May, 2020.
Prior to Western Carolina, Rhodes spent two seasons in Clinton, S.C., at Presbyterian College. In the summer of 2019, Rhodes was promoted to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Blue Hose. In the following 2019-20 season, Rhodes also oversaw the addition of seven impactful newcomers which equated to an all-freshman selection for Blue Hose Tionna Carter. Presbyterian won its first-round game of the Big South Tournament before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her first year with the Blue Hose, Rhodes worked with post players, most notably Salina Virola who saw career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Before Presbyterian, Rhodes spent two seasons on the bench at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., where she helped coach the Bobcats to a 56-6 (.903) record over that span. The team won back-to-back Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Championships as well as back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Championships. In 2016, the Bobcats made their first-ever National Tournament appearance and advanced to the Elite Eight. In 2017, the team returned to the tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. During her tenure, Rhodes was selected to coach in the 2017 NJCAA All-Star Game as well as the 2018 MACJC Sophomore All-Star Game.
Prior to her time at JCJC, Rhodes was at Central Arkansas for a season where she helped guide the Bears to an overall record of 28-3, a Southland Conference tournament championship and the program’s first D-I NCAA Tournament berth. That year, UCA set program records for regular-season wins (28) and Southland Conference victories (16) while going undefeated on the road in conference play for the first time in program history.
Originally from Pelahatchie, Miss., Rhodes had a successful playing career at both the University of Southern Mississippi and Delta State where her teams went a combined 96-32 (.744). A team captain on a 25-win, WNIT Elite Eight team at Southern Miss in 2014-15, Rhodes finished the season ranked second in the Conference USA and among the national Top-40 in 3-point field goal percentage.
A prolific shooter throughout her career, Rhodes – a Daktronics All-South Region selection in 2012 – finished her time in uniform with averages of 36.7 percent from 3-point range and 81.3 percent at the free-throw line. In high school, she was a Dandy Dozen selection and a two-time statewide Player of the Year at East Rankin.
Rhodes earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences with a chemistry minor from Southern Miss in 2014. She also completed a master's at USM in sports coaching education in 2016.
