MCC’s Brooks named new Assistant Coach at Mississippi State

(MERIDIAN) - Meridian Community College head men’s basketball coach, George Brooks, has been named an assistant men’s basketball coach at Mississippi State University where he will work under Bulldog head coach, Rick Stansbury.

As a player, Brooks attended MSU from 1992-1994 and played under Coach Richard Williams.

Brooks was then named student assistant coach for MSU and helped coach the Bulldogs to the 1996 NCAA Final Four.

In 1997-98, Brooks was named assistant coach for MCC and helped lead the Eagles to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament and a fifth place national finish.

Brooks was apart of MCC basketball for 13 years, serving 2 years as an assistant and then 11 seasons as the head coach.

Brooks coached 33 MCC players that signed with NCAA basketball programs including First Team NJCAA All America selection Tajudeen Soyoye, who signed with NCAA Div I program, Missouri. In addition, as the main recruiter for MCC basketball since 1998, Brooks signed and coached two players that have played in the NBA (Jamario Moon and Ronald Murray).

As head coach, Brooks led MCC to multiple Miss-Lou Conference Championships and numerous appearances in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

Recently in 2008, starting four freshman, Brooks led a young squad to a Runner Up finish in the MACJC South Division and appearances in both the MACJC State Tournament and the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

“All of us at MCC are happy for George,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, college president.

“It’s the opportunity of as coaching lifetime for George to return to MSU and re-affiliate with a top-flight NCAA program. We’re sorry to lose him at MCC, but we’re also proud that through the years so many of our coaches have earned the opportunity to ascend to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics – people like Corky Palmer, Scott Berry, Russ McNickel, Mike Federico, Chad Calliet (baseball); Joe Walker, Jr. (track and field); Sandy Pugh (basketball) and now George Brooks. That’s a pretty impressive coaching legacy for any junior college athletic program.”

Elliott said the search for a new coach has already begun and that he hoped to name Brooks’ successor in a short time frame, given that the fall semester is already under way. Until a new coach is named, MCC Athletic Director Hilary Allen will be coordinating the men’s basketball program as well as the women’s.


Coaching career for George Brooks
Years Position School
1995-1997 Student Assistant Mississippi State
1997-1999 Assistant Coach Meridian Community College
1999-2010 Head Coach Meridian Community College