Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
- Phone:
- 662-325-3800
George Brooks wrapped up his 16th season as an assistant coach with the Mississippi State basketball program in 2025-26 after a successful 13-year stint at the junior college ranks where he guided his Meridian Community College program to numerous titles.
Brooks, the SEC’s longest tenured assistant coach and one of the NCAA’s longest tenured major conference assistant coaches, is in the midst of his second decade of loyal service to the Maroon and White under Chris Jans, Ben Howland, Rick Ray and Rick Stansbury. The 2025-26 season also enabled Brooks to match the longest tenured assistant coach in State history.
Brooks has been impactful on the recruiting trail and served as the lead recruiter to 11 players, who have garnered a combined 21 All-SEC First-Team, All-SEC Second-Team, All-SEC Third-Team, All-SEC Freshman Team and All-SEC Defensive Team accolades.
The Bulldogs have had at least one player garner All-SEC First-Team, All-SEC Second-Team or All-SEC Third-Team honors during 10 consecutive seasons going back to 2016-17. In fact, all but one of State’s All-SEC performers have been Brooks signees since 2014-15.
Josh Hubbard captured All-SEC accolades for the third straight season and became the first three-time recipient of the Bailey Howell Trophy, awarded to the state of Mississippi’s top collegiate player, in 2025-26. He heads into the 2026-27 campaign on the verge of becoming the 4th State player and 28th player in SEC history to eclipse 2,000 career points.
In 2021-22, State had four players on NBA rosters for the first time in program history. Brooks served as the lead recruiter for the quartet of Reggie Perry, Craig Sword, Quinndary Weatherspoon and Robert Woodard II with Perry, Weatherspoon and Woodard II all hearing their names called on NBA Draft night.
Weatherspoon and Perry came away with All-SEC First-Team honors in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively. Perry was a top five finalist for the 2020 Karl Malone Award given to the nation’s top power forward, while Weatherspoon was a top 10 finalist for the 2019 Jerry West Award given to the nation’s best shooting guard.
Weatherspoon was a 2021-22 NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs during the 2019 NBA Draft. He currently sits among the program’s top 10 in points (2,012 – 3rd), field goals made (706 – tied for 3rd), steals (201 – 4th) free throws made (413 – 5th) and three-pointers made (187 – 9th). The Canton native is the only player in SEC history to collect over 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals.
Most recently, Tolu Smith III completed his second season with the Detroit Pistons who finished the 2025-26 regular season with the best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. He currently ranks among State’s top 11 in five categories: field goal percentage (57.1 – 6th), rebounds (865 – 7th), free throws made (406 – 7th), field goal made (574 – 9th) and points (1,554 – 12th).
Brooks landed fellow 1,000-point scorers in Tyson Carter and Gavin Ware who wrapped up their careers inside the top 20 on State’s scoring list. Carter made program history as the first player to earn the SEC’s Sixth-Man of the Year award in 2019-20. He also aided in the development of Arnett Moultrie, who is one of 12 players in State history to average a double-double for a season and was a first-round choice of the Miami Heat during the 2012 NBA Draft.
State has earned postseason bids in seven of the last eight seasons when tournaments have been played highlighted by 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 NCAA Tournament trips. He has served as the lead recruiter for the team’s top scorer and top rebounder on all four NCAA March Madness squads. The last time the Bulldogs strung together three straight NCAA Tournament trips was in the early 2000s.
Brooks has collected a multitude of recruiting honors over his tenure in Maroon and White. He has been listed as the SEC’s top recruiter among assistant coaches three times (2011, 2016, 2018) in addition to being one of the SEC’s top 5 recruiters among assistant coaches on 10 occasions by 247 Sports.
Nationally, Brooks has been tabbed inside the top 10 recruiters among assistant coaches five times, fueled by four straight seasons from 2015-18 by 247 Sports. He also has managed double digit national top 30 marks among assistant coaches. State’s 2018 class of Perry, Stewart Jr. and Woodard II was dubbed a consensus top 20 class in the country.
Brooks has served as the lead recruiter on nine ESPN top 100 players since 2017 which include Hubbard and Tristan Reed on State’s 2026-27 roster.
Brooks appeared in 67 games as a three-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1992-94. He served as a student assistant coach in 1995-96 under Richard Williams when Mississippi State advanced to the NCAA Final Four and won the program’s first SEC Tournament title.
Brooks began his coaching journey at Meridian Community College, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach before being promoted to head coach in 1999-2000. He spent 11 seasons leading the Eagles to numerous Mississippi-Louisiana Conference titles and NJCAA Region 23 Tournament berths.
Brooks had 20-plus players during his tenure sign with NCAA programs, headed by Jamal Edmondson, who played at Mississippi State from 2005-06. He also had two additional standouts, Jamario Moon and Ronald Murray, who went onto NBA careers from the junior college ranks.
After being drafted No. 42 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft, Murray went onto having an eight-year NBA career. Murray averaged 13.5 points per game as the 2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers went to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, while Moon was chosen to the 2008 NBA All-Rookie Second Team as a member of the Toronto Raptors.
Brooks put together a stellar multi-sport prep career at Lafayette High School in Alabama under the tutelage of John T. Woody. His team captured the 1989 Alabama 3A title during his sophomore season.
Individually, Brooks notched a trio of Opelika-Auburn News All-Area and Valley Times News All-Valley honorees. The All-State performer posted averages of 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists and was named to the Birmingham Post-Herald’s “Ten Most Wanted List” as a senior. He also was a three-time All-State selection at tight end on the gridiron.
Brooks is a 1997 graduate of Mississippi State. He and his wife, Kalia, are the parents of four children. The two oldest are sons Garrison and Justin, while the two youngest are daughters Katelyn and Karrie. Garrison plays professionally in Japan.
The George Brooks File
Hometown • Lafayette, Alabama
Wife • Kalia
Children • Garrison • Justin • Katelyn • Karrie
Educational Background
High School • Lafayette HS • 1991
College • Mississippi State • 1997
BROOKS’ COACHING EXPERIENCE
Seasons • School • Years at School • Position
2011-Present • Mississippi State • 16 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2000-10 • Meridian CC • 11 Seasons • Head Coach
1998-99 • Meridian CC • 2 Seasons • Assistant Coach
1996 • Mississippi State • 1 Season • Student Assistant Coach
Note: Seasons are represented by hyphen and begin with the year’s last date. For example, the 2010-11 season is listed as 2011 which was Brooks’ first season as an assistant coach at Mississippi State.
