Men's Basketball
Brooks Savage
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- wfmbb@wfu.edu
Brooks Savage joined the Wake Forest basketball staff in May 2020 after a highly successful five-year stint as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State alongside head coach Steve Forbes.
Three seasons in at Wake Forest, Wake Forest is coming off its first appearance in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament since 2009 to end the 2022-23 season. With a regular-season conference record of 10-10 in 2022-23 and 13-7 for the 2021-22 season, Wake Forest has had back-to-back seasons with double-digit ACC wins for the first time since the 1995-96 (12-4) and 1996-97 (11-5) seasons.
With an overall record of 19-14 this season and 25-10 last season, Wake Forest has had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008-09 (24-7) and 2009-10 (20-11).
The Deacs also had back-to-back 10-0 starts at home for the first time in program history last season and this season.
In year two, the staff led the Deacs to one of their best seasons in the past 20 years, finishing the 2021-22 year with 25 wins, the most since 2004-05. With a regular-season conference record of 13-7, Wake Forest tied the single-season program record for ACC wins with 13 (2004-05, 2002-03). With just three league wins during 2020-21, the Deacs had the largest year-to-year improvement ever in ACC win totals with 10. Wake Forest finished conference play fifth in the standings, its highest finish since 2010.
With a 19-win differential from 2020-21 to 2021-22, Wake Forest had one of the largest improvements from year to year in NCAA history. Wake Forest also broke the program for most home wins in a season during the first and second rounds of the NIT for 18 home wins in 2021-22.
Wake Forest also had their first postseason appearance since the First Four in 2017, being named a two seed in the National Invitation Tournament and advancing to the Quarterfinals. It was the longest postseason run for the Deacs since 2000, when they won the NIT.
Savage continues to coach under one of the best in the business, as head coach Steve Forbes was named the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Savage also assisted in the development of 2022 ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams and 2022 All-ACC Second Team selection Jake LaRavia.
For the first time since 2005, Wake Forest had back-to-back All-ACC First Team selections in Alondes Williams (2022) and Tyree Appleby (2023). 2023 also marked the first time in program history that Wake Forest had back-to-back Associated Press ACC Players of the Years in Williams and Appleby.
During his five seasons in Johnson City, Savage helped the Buccaneers compile an overall record of 130-43 (.751) and a Southern Conference record of 71-19 (.789). The Bucs earned a pair of first place finishes in the Southern Conference and NCAA Tournament berths in 2017 & 2020. During his five seasons with the Bucs, ETSU reached the SoCon Tournament championship game four times.
Savage has served as ETSU’s recruiting coordinator while also supervising the academics program that has helped the Bucs compile a perfect graduation rate. Savage also was the point person of ETSU’s non-conference schedule. While the success of the program created challenges in scheduling, the Bucs amassed a non-conference record of 47-18 (72%) in five years, including going 16-4 in series started during the Forbes era. ETSU recorded numerous marquee non-conference wins including three over Power 5 schools during this time defeating Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and LSU.
Prior to ETSU, Savage coached at Chattanooga from 2013-2015. He helped the Mocs to a 40-25 record in his two seasons, finishing 2nd in the SoCon both seasons. During his seven years in the Southern Conference, his teams posted a 98-26 (79%) conference record finishing in the Top 3 each year.
Before UTC, Savage entered the D1 Assistant ranks in the Big South conference by helping lead Presbyterian College through the Division 1 transition during the 2012-13 season. This followed a championship year in 2011-12 as an Assistant at Northwest Florida State College where the Raiders 32 wins set a school record, won the Panhandle Conference title and finished as the National Runner-Up. At NWF, Savage helped recruit and develop eleven players that went on to earn Division 1 scholarships. In 2010-11, Savage served as the Director of Video and Player Development at Tulane University.
Over Savage’s nine years as an assistant coach his teams have amassed a record of 210-92 overall while finishing first or second in conference play in seven of those nine seasons.
Since the 2018 offseason, Savage has been invited to participate in TopConnect. This college basketball networking event provides a platform for up-and-coming assistant coaches and athletic directors from around the country to learn from one another and help prepare the assistants to become future head coaches.
Savage was also named one of “50 Impactful Mid-Major Assistants” by Silver Waves Media in 2020.
A 2008 graduate of Tennessee, Savage holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports management/business. As an undergrad, he worked as a student manager and graduate assistant from 2004-10 and was a part of five Volunteer NCAA Tournament teams in his six seasons. Savage and his wife Lauren are the parents of a daughter, Waverly.
Three seasons in at Wake Forest, Wake Forest is coming off its first appearance in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament since 2009 to end the 2022-23 season. With a regular-season conference record of 10-10 in 2022-23 and 13-7 for the 2021-22 season, Wake Forest has had back-to-back seasons with double-digit ACC wins for the first time since the 1995-96 (12-4) and 1996-97 (11-5) seasons.
With an overall record of 19-14 this season and 25-10 last season, Wake Forest has had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008-09 (24-7) and 2009-10 (20-11).
The Deacs also had back-to-back 10-0 starts at home for the first time in program history last season and this season.
In year two, the staff led the Deacs to one of their best seasons in the past 20 years, finishing the 2021-22 year with 25 wins, the most since 2004-05. With a regular-season conference record of 13-7, Wake Forest tied the single-season program record for ACC wins with 13 (2004-05, 2002-03). With just three league wins during 2020-21, the Deacs had the largest year-to-year improvement ever in ACC win totals with 10. Wake Forest finished conference play fifth in the standings, its highest finish since 2010.
With a 19-win differential from 2020-21 to 2021-22, Wake Forest had one of the largest improvements from year to year in NCAA history. Wake Forest also broke the program for most home wins in a season during the first and second rounds of the NIT for 18 home wins in 2021-22.
Wake Forest also had their first postseason appearance since the First Four in 2017, being named a two seed in the National Invitation Tournament and advancing to the Quarterfinals. It was the longest postseason run for the Deacs since 2000, when they won the NIT.
Savage continues to coach under one of the best in the business, as head coach Steve Forbes was named the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. Savage also assisted in the development of 2022 ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams and 2022 All-ACC Second Team selection Jake LaRavia.
For the first time since 2005, Wake Forest had back-to-back All-ACC First Team selections in Alondes Williams (2022) and Tyree Appleby (2023). 2023 also marked the first time in program history that Wake Forest had back-to-back Associated Press ACC Players of the Years in Williams and Appleby.
During his five seasons in Johnson City, Savage helped the Buccaneers compile an overall record of 130-43 (.751) and a Southern Conference record of 71-19 (.789). The Bucs earned a pair of first place finishes in the Southern Conference and NCAA Tournament berths in 2017 & 2020. During his five seasons with the Bucs, ETSU reached the SoCon Tournament championship game four times.
Savage has served as ETSU’s recruiting coordinator while also supervising the academics program that has helped the Bucs compile a perfect graduation rate. Savage also was the point person of ETSU’s non-conference schedule. While the success of the program created challenges in scheduling, the Bucs amassed a non-conference record of 47-18 (72%) in five years, including going 16-4 in series started during the Forbes era. ETSU recorded numerous marquee non-conference wins including three over Power 5 schools during this time defeating Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and LSU.
Prior to ETSU, Savage coached at Chattanooga from 2013-2015. He helped the Mocs to a 40-25 record in his two seasons, finishing 2nd in the SoCon both seasons. During his seven years in the Southern Conference, his teams posted a 98-26 (79%) conference record finishing in the Top 3 each year.
Before UTC, Savage entered the D1 Assistant ranks in the Big South conference by helping lead Presbyterian College through the Division 1 transition during the 2012-13 season. This followed a championship year in 2011-12 as an Assistant at Northwest Florida State College where the Raiders 32 wins set a school record, won the Panhandle Conference title and finished as the National Runner-Up. At NWF, Savage helped recruit and develop eleven players that went on to earn Division 1 scholarships. In 2010-11, Savage served as the Director of Video and Player Development at Tulane University.
Over Savage’s nine years as an assistant coach his teams have amassed a record of 210-92 overall while finishing first or second in conference play in seven of those nine seasons.
Since the 2018 offseason, Savage has been invited to participate in TopConnect. This college basketball networking event provides a platform for up-and-coming assistant coaches and athletic directors from around the country to learn from one another and help prepare the assistants to become future head coaches.
Savage was also named one of “50 Impactful Mid-Major Assistants” by Silver Waves Media in 2020.
A 2008 graduate of Tennessee, Savage holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports management/business. As an undergrad, he worked as a student manager and graduate assistant from 2004-10 and was a part of five Volunteer NCAA Tournament teams in his six seasons. Savage and his wife Lauren are the parents of a daughter, Waverly.
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