MILWAUKEE, WIS. - The Alverno College Department of Athletics has hired Erik Brooks as the new Assistant Basketball Coach, as announced on Friday. Brooks rejoins head coach Joshua Steffen after the pair worked together for the past two seasons at Mount Mary University.
"I am so excited Erik will be part of our staff at Alverno," Steffen said. "He has proven himself as a recruiter and leader, and as we build something special here, I know he will be a crucial part of our players' success in all areas of their college experience."
Brooks arrives at Alverno after serving as an assistant coach for the basketball program at nearby Mount Mary University for two seasons. There, Brooks had several duties, including but not limited to recruiting, managing the team's social media, leading and planning community and team-building activities, as well as bench and practice coaching. He also helped develop the Blue Angel Basketball Classic, a two-day holiday event, welcoming nine high school teams for six games over two days. He also assisted in one of the program's best two-year stretches (19 wins) and its best-ever start, when they began last season at 5-1.
"I'm really excited to join the Alverno family, returning to my South Side roots with a commitment to do all I can to rebuild this proud program," said Brooks, whose mother graduated from Alverno with a Nursing degree in 1975. "The opportunity is so great here, and the story of this terrific institution is so strong. I look forward to telling it to prospective student-athletes who want to succeed in and out of the classroom, on and off the court, on-campus and in the community. Let's get to work!"
Before coaching collegiately, Brooks was also the Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at Saint Anthony High School for three seasons. There, he helped the team set a school record for wins in a season as they also hosted a WIAA playoff game for the first time. Brooks was in charge of all aspects of the program and supported the college recruitment of his players, while also forging partnerships with local colleges, leading the efforts to create and launch the Lake City Showcase. Brooks has also been involved with club basketball locally, founding both the South Shore Crush and MKE PHX, affordable and accessible options for kids to build their basketball skills. He also serves as a youth basketball official.
Outside of basketball, Brooks owns and operates his own independent communications consultancy, Brooks Communications+Community. It operates with a focus on strategic storytelling -- starting with communications planning and then assisting in bringing those plans to life through writing and editing, digital and social platforms, video, meetings, media and government relations, and more. He has worked in various communications positions over his professional career, including as a Marketing Specialist for Skyline Catering and Bucyrus Club, as Regional Director in the Carl Collective with Trozzolo Communications Group, and as a Communications Manager for Miller Brewing Co. Brooks also served in local politics in the City of South Milwaukee for 12 years, including as the city's mayor from 2014 to 2021.
The Milwaukee native earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from Marquette in 1997.
