The dean of Lone Star Conference women's basketball coaches, Sally Walling Brooks has developed a tradition of winning at Angelo State.
Now in her 19th year as a collegiate coach and her 10th year as the head coach of the 'Belles, Brooks is the winningest active women's basketball coach in the LSC and has the highest winning percentage of any coach that has been in the league for at least five seasons.
In her nine seasons at ASU, Brooks has led the 'Belles to a 195-76 record and a .720 winning percentage. Coupled with her 155-106 record in nine seasons at the University of Incarnate Word, that gives her a career record of 350-182 for a .658 winning percentage. She currently ranks 24th among active NCAA Division II coaches in both total wins and winning percentage.
Success has become the routine for Brooks at Angelo State. She has led the 'Belles to nine consecutive winning seasons, four LSC South Division titles (2001-03, 2005), three LSC Tournament championships (2002, 2004-05) and a streak of seven straight trips to the NCAA D-II Postseason Tournament (2002-08).
Last season, Brooks led ASU to a 16-12 overall record and a tie for third place in the LSC South Division with a 7-5 mark. Her 'Belles advanced to the conference tournament for the ninth straight season, falling in the first round to Southeastern Oklahoma, 81-76. She also coached guard Camille Perkins to first team All-LSC South honors for the second straight season and center Ann Parks to honorable mention all-conference honors. She had two players, senior Lauren Weishuhn and junior Lindsey Leatherman, chosen to the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
In 2007-08 Brooks' squad posted a 23-9 overall record, marking the team's fifth 20-win campaign in six years. After placing third in the LSC South with a 9-5 mark, ASU advanced to the LSC Tournament semifinal round for the fifth consecutive season. The 'Belles also made it to the NCAA D-II South Central Region Tournament, where they bowed out with a 69-44 loss to eventual champion Washburn University. Brooks coached her first LSC South Freshman of the Year in guard Camille Perkins, who also earned first team All-LSC South honors. Three other 'Belles were also honored by the conference as Kandra Lakey earned second team recognition and Lindsey Leatherman and Ann Parks were each selected honorable mention.
In 2006-07, the 'Belles finished 17-12 and placed second in the LSC South Division at 8-6. In their fourth straight trip to the semifinals of the conference tournament, the 'Belles fell 65-57 to eventual LSC and regional champion Texas A&M-Commerce. Expectations had been higher for the team laden with five senior starters, but injuries hampered an extended postseason run. Two 'Belles, Asheia Haynes and Lakey, earned second team All-LSC South honors.
The 2005-06 Rambelles boasted just one senior on the squad, but Brooks led them to yet another playoff berth after finishing second in the LSC South Division and at the LSC Tournament. It was also the 'Belles' fourth straight 20-win season under Brooks as they posted a 22-9 overall record. Lakey and Britinee Davis garnered All-LSC South honors while Meghann LeJuene was named the LSC South Newcomer of the Year.
For the 2004-05 season, Brooks was named LSC South Division Coach of the Year for the second time after leading the 'Belles to a program-best 28-4 overall record. To that, the 'Belles also added their fourth LSC South Division title under Brooks and their second straight LSC Tournament title as they downed Northeastern State University, 61-49, in the championship game. The 'Belles were ranked in the NCAA D-II Top 10 for five weeks during the season, reaching as high as No. 3, and finished the year ranked No. 13. Brooks coached senior Natalja Tsurbakova to first team All-LSC South, consensus All-America and third team Academic All-America honors. Courtney Nowlin earned second team All-LSC South recognition and Christina Johnson became the first of two consecutive ASU players named LSC South Newcomer of the Year.
In the 2003-04 season, Brooks again led the 'Belles to a conference championship as they won the LSC Tournament for only the third time in school history after posting a 26-5 overall record. The 'Belles remained in the NCAA D-II national poll for the entire season, reaching as high as No. 8. In her junior season, Tsurbakova was named LSC South Division Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, the second-straight season a Rambelle had been named the top performer in the division. Tsurbakova was also named the 'Belles' third ever All-American, earning first team honors from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
The 2002-03 season saw Brooks lead the 'Belles to their third consecutive LSC South championship as they posted a 25-5 overall record, their best in nine seasons. She also led the team to its first-ever regular season top 10 national ranking, peaking at No. 7 in the WBCA poll. Kami Williamson was named LSC South Division MVP and the team earned a second straight NCAA D-II Tournament berth.
Brooks and the 'Belles made history during the 2001-02 season as they won their second consecutive LSC South championship, the first back-to-back league titles of any kind in ASU women's basketball history. To top that off, Brooks led the 'Belles to their first LSC title since 1994 as they swept through the conference tournament on their home court. The feat was particularly amazing since the 'Belles had hovered below .500 for over half the campaign. The team struggled early and was mired in a losing season until the start of division play in January. Brooks then lit a fire under the players and ASU rattled off 15 wins in its last 19 games, including six straight late in the year, to reach the NCAA D-II Tournament for the first time since 1994.
In her first season at ASU, Brooks took over a program in 2000 that had not won more than eight games in a season for five years and had finished in the basement of the LSC the three previous seasons. As if that weren't a daunting enough task, she faced even more difficulties off the court.
Brooks was expecting her daughter, Bailey, during that first season and developed a life-threatening condition over the Christmas break that forced her into the hospital for an emergency delivery. Bailey was born nearly three months early and Brooks almost died from complications. Most people would have taken the remainder of the season off, but not Brooks. Once Bailey's health stabilized, Brooks was back at practice just three weeks later and missed only four games.
The 'Belles responded to Brooks' dogged determination, posting a 20-8 campaign and winning only the second LSC regular-season championship in the history of the program, tying for the South Division title. For her efforts, Brooks was named the LSC South Division Coach of the Year, becoming only the second ASU women's basketball coach to earn the award. The team achieved off the court as well, being honored as one of the WBCA's Academic Top 25 teams in NCAA D-II.
Prior to her arrival at ASU, Brooks led Incarnate Word to seven winning seasons, including a school-record 25 wins during the 1998-99 season that ended with the team ranked No. 15 in the nation. In her nine seasons at UIW, she led the team to seven conference playoff appearances, two NAIA National Tournament appearances, two conference championships and two tournament championships in the Heart of Texas Conference.
As a player, Brooks was an all-conference performer at South Plains College before transferring to Midwestern State University, where she served as a team captain for the then-Lady Indians. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree from MSU in 1988 and also earned her master's degree in education from MSU in 1991. In high school, she was an all-state player at Canyon High School.
A native of Canyon, Brooks has coaching in her blood. Her father, Dennis Walling, was the head coach at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M) for several seasons before his retirement and her brother, Jamie, coaches in Wall near San Angelo. Another brother, Kendall, played professional baseball for the California Angels organization (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and was the head baseball coach at Plainview High School for 11 years. Her sister, Nancy, is a coach at Pflugerville High School. Perhaps fittingly, she also married a coach. Her husband, Kevin, is the head coach of the ASU Rams baseball team.
Off the court, Brooks is a member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and the WBCA. She has also served on the WBCA's Kodak Coach of the Year committee and served on the NCAA D-II Women's Basketball Committee, serving as the South Central Region chair for the past four seasons.
Successful coaching is in Brooks' blood. Her brother, Jamie, is the head golf coach at Wall High School, guiding the Lady Hawks golf program to three straight state titles. Her sister, Nancy, is the head girls' basketball coach at Pflugerville High School. This past season, she guided the Lady Panthers to a third state championship. Her father, Dennis, will be inducted into the West Texas A&M Hall of Champion this October after a successful high school and collegiate coaching career.
Brooks is also active in the San Angelo community, directing the Heart of Texas Basketball Camp program and serving on the board of directors of the Concho Valley Home for Girls. She is also involved with the Big Sisters Program in San Angelo. Sally and her husband, Kevin, daughter, Bailey (9), and son, Kannon (7), served together as an ambassador family for the March of Dimes.
