George Brooks
Imagine your ideal coach. The kind of coach that pushes his athletes to be the best they can be but also pushes himself to be the best coach he can be. Without a doubt, George Brooks embodies this ideal coach.
After many years of hard work, Brooks transformed a program and led his Lobos to some of the greatest finishes of all time for the University of New Mexico — in any sport. Brooks, a Taos native, the home of some of the best ski areas in the world, ended his final coaching season with the ski team in 2007 after giving 37 tremendous and very successful years to his Alma Mater. He manufactured one of the longest and most flourishing runs in Lobo athletic history. Brooks helped produce dozens upon dozens of All-Conference Athletes, Top-10 Finishers, All–Americans and NCAA Champions.
Brooks, the first coach in UNM ski team history, was the longest tenured head coach ever in the UNM athletic department and worked under 10 university presidents and eight athletic directors. Prior to taking the helm as head coach for the Lobos, Brooks was a three-time CIAL All-Conference Alpine skier at UNM from 1969 – 1971 and also was named a Top Level “A” Racer in the Rocky Mountain Division. Originally a club sport prior to 1970, Brooks helped to mold the ski team into a consistently competitive and nationally-ranked varsity program.
The Lobo ski team owns three of the top four finishes in NCAA Championship history for UNM. Runner-up at the 1992 and 2006 NCAA Championships, the Lobos took the NCAA team title in 2004 — the first, and so far only, in school history. Brooks also helped to lead his Lobos to 16 Alpine and Nordic team national championships throughout his career and 25-consecutive top-10 team finishes (1982-2007).
His mentoring extended from athletic competition to academic excellence. Over 100 Lobo men’s and women’s skiers received Academic All-America honors under his tutelage and for 17-straight years Brooks’ Lobos had the highest grade point average amongst all UNM teams.
Coach Brooks was part of several national ski committees, the most prominent included: the NCAA Rules committee for nine years, serving as co-chairman for the United States Ski Association Collegiate Ski Committee from 1988-1997, and performing as a delegate for the United States Federation of International Skiing (FIS) to the FIS Congress from 1986-1998. Brooks was also named the head coach for the United States Ski Team at the World University Games in 1983, 1987-1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2002. He also contributed in many publications throughout the years where he was able to share his expertise in the sport of skiing.
Brooks earned his bachelor’s degree from UNM in political science/history in 1970 and then went on to earn his master’s in sports physiology. He is a Lobo through and through and that is still evident to this day as he serves as Past President on the UNM Alumni Lettermen’s Association Board of Directors. The inaugural UNM Hall of Honor Coach of the Year in 2004, Brooks is not new to achievement and success. He was inducted into the Ski New Mexico Hall of Fame in 1992 and currently serves as the director for the not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote New Mexico’s ski industry.
It is obvious that UNM, the state of New Mexico, and the world of skiing would not be the same without him. We are lucky to call him one of our own- an alumnus, letterman, coach, volunteer, and friend.