DeKALB – As he sat before the audience at a press conference Wednesday afternoon introducing new women’s basketball head coach Jacey Brooks, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics Sean Frazier made a simple yet confident declaration: NIU had found its Superwoman.

“Yes, we wanted Superwoman,” Frazier said. “That’s what we wanted, and we got it.”

Despite what the name might suggest, Brooks can’t fly, nor can she lift buildings, shoot lasers out of her eyes or see through walls. At least, not that we know of.

Instead, Brooks brings 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, recruiting ties to the Midwest and a winning track record to her first Division I head coaching position. 

“We were looking for someone to develop a winning culture to meet our expectations of winning games, as well as being more than competitive both academically and athletically,” Frazier said.

That was just the first point on the extensive list of criteria had by NIU’s search committee as it sought out to replace Lisa Carlsen, who resigned as head coach on March 10 after a decade at the helm.

In essence, NIU wanted a do-it-all coach who understood and embraced the school’s mission, the ever-changing landscape of college athletics and the game of basketball itself. But more importantly, it wanted a coach who wanted to be at NIU. 

For Brooks, getting the NIU job is a “dream come true” – and one of many highlights in what she calls the best week of her life.

In the days following her being named the Huskies’ 11th head coach on April 1, Brooks coached her final two games as Becky Burke’s associate head coach at the University at Buffalo, helping the Bulls capture their first-ever WNIT championship.

“I’ve had a smile on my face for probably 10 days now,” Brooks said. “Ever since I got offered the job here at Northern and then making that run with the Buffalo team, it feels a little bit surreal.”

But to get to this point in her coaching career, Brooks had to grow from her small-town roots in southeast New York, just as DC Comics’ titular superhero did from the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas (after his departure from Krypton, that is).

D1 TO D3 AND BACK

The daughter of a farmer and a nurse, Brooks was raised in Machias, New York. She knows how to drive a tractor; she knows how to milk a cow, but Brooks found her true calling on the hardwood, starring at Buffalo State University in her college days.

As she reflected on her coaching journey that began just after graduation 18 years ago, Brooks showed her vulnerability – despite being compared to an invulnerable superheroine. There were moments when the coach battled tears, had an unsteady voice or had to take a drink of water to maintain her composure.

The first pause occurred as she recalled her conversations with St. Bonaventure University head coach Jim Crowley in 2007 for the Bonnies’ newly created director of basketball operations position. Upon receiving an official offer, Brooks remembers immediately calling her mom.

“Mom, I’m so excited, and it pays $5,000,” Brooks said.

“Honey, you can’t survive off $5,000,” her mom replied.

“I know if I want to coach, this is my stepping stone to get into coaching,” Brooks replied back.

Brooks accepted the position not long after, serving in the role for two seasons before being promoted to assistant coach for the 2009-2010 season. She was later hired to be an assistant coach at Canisius College in 2010, where she spent three seasons under head coach Terry Zeh.

In 2013, Brooks got her first taste of the Mid-American Conference when she joined the coaching staff at Bowling Green State University. It was during her time at Bowling Green that Brooks discovered her true calling.

“BG is the place where I truly found myself as a coach,” Brooks said. “This is where I got my itch to become a head coach someday. I learned how to use my voice and how powerful it can be as a role model for young athletes.”

After five years with the Falcons, Brooks got her first head coaching gig in June 2018 as the leading woman at the State University of New York at Cortland. In four seasons, Brooks guided the Red Dragons to a 79-32 record and three NCAA Division III tournament appearances.

Brooks returned to Division I – and the MAC – in 2023 when she was hired at Buffalo, contributing to the Bulls’ evolution into one of the league’s top programs.

With each coach she thanked and each program she praised, Brooks’ passion felt more tangible. With each emotion she expressed, her dedication and commitment to the Huskies felt unquestionable. As she prepares to take the reins of a new program, she’ll expect the very same from her players. 

“We’re each going to make a total and unconditional dedication to ourselves and our program,” Brooks told her players sitting in the audience. “Everyone in our program will commit to getting better. We have a lot of work to do, and we’re going to be passionate about what we do.”

As she concluded her remarks Wednesday, Brooks made a point to remind the audience that, cliché as it may be, her origin story is a testament to perseverance and belief.

“Dreams really do come true,” Brooks said. “Through hard work, dedication and staying true to yourself, you are able to accomplish anything you put your mind to, and I’m a living testament for that.”