A week after stepping into the role of head coach for Alabama women’s basketball, Pauline Love has made her first new assistant coach hire with Tyus Hooks.
Hooks was a former colleague of Love with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2025-26, and he spent four seasons overall in Norman as a recruiting assistant and assistant coach. During his time with Oklahoma, the team logged four consecutive 20-win campaigns with three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Under his watch as a recruiter and player developer, the Sooners brought in players like Raegan Beers, Peyton Verhulst and Aaliyah Chavez, who have since blossomed into All-SEC selections. Oklahoma’s 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the nation and was headlined by Chavez, who came in as the top overall prospect and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
“I’m excited to welcome Tyus Hooks to our staff,” Love said. “Tyus is a relationship builder, an elite evaluator and someone who understands what it takes to recruit and develop high-level players.”
Before Oklahoma, he was a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan for two seasons, and before that he spent four years as a student manager for Ole Miss.
Hooks called The University of Alabama a “truly special place, filled with even more special people” and expressed his excitement for building relationships and investing in players within the program.
Love attested to his ability to come in and make a difference: “His energy, work ethic and ability to connect with people makes him a perfect fit for the culture we’re building here at Alabama.”
“I’m thrilled,” Hooks said about the opportunity. “Roll Tide!”
