Pro and College Football Hall of Famer brings high-level leadership experience in professional sports and university guidance

TAMPA, OCT. 30, 2025 – University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins announced today Hall of Fame linebacker and prominent Bay area sports executive Derrick Brooks will serve as Chief Operating Officer for USF Athletics and join the department's senior leadership team effective immediately.

In addition to his Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winning career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brooks has extensive connections and deep passion for Tampa Bay and brings over 15 years of experience as a key front office executive in professional sports. Before joining USF, he served as Executive Vice President of Corporate and Community Development at Vinik Sports Group since 2017. He is also the President and Founder of Derrick Brooks Charities, and Co-Founder of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School. Brooks also serves on numerous boards, including Kforce, the Florida Department of Education Foundation and the Florida State Fair Authority.
 
"We have committed to Bulls Nation to build something special here in USF Athletics to best serve our student-athletes, coaches, faculty, alumni and fans," Higgins said. "Derrick Brooks has been a pillar of Team Tampa Bay for the last 30 years and a leader in the state of Florida his entire life. We have been fortunate to work with Derrick many times over the last two decades, including bringing the Super Bowl to Tampa and hosting that event. We could not be more excited to welcome his passion, energy and expertise at USF Athletics as our new COO. He's the ultimate role model for our student-athletes."
 
In his new role, Brooks has numerous responsibilities, including service as a lead community ambassador, Football and Men's Basketball Administration (in tandem with Higgins), revenue generation, sports tourism strategy, enhancing student-athlete experiences, and Team Tampa Bay/local pro franchise relations.

A Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer, Brooks helped lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history. He was recently voted the No. 1 Buccaneer in franchise history. Since his playing career, he has held executive leadership roles across workforce development, sports media, and community engagement.

"There is no better time to be a Bull!" Brooks said. "The University of South Florida has long held a special place in my heart and for my family, most recently as huge supporters of our daughter DaNia and her teammates on the reigning American Conference Tournament champion softball team. I cannot think of a university or an athletics department with brighter futures than ours, and I am ready to get to work and excited to join Rob, his staff, and the tremendous student-athletes and coaches who make USF Athletics a one of one college athletic department. As Rob likes to say: 'All Gas. No Brakes. No Regrets. No Excuses.'  And I'll just add: Go Bulls!"

Brooks brings significant business and investment experience to his new role, having served as an investor and advisor in start-ups, private equity, and lending ventures. He previously held leadership positions as President of Tampa Bay Sports & Football Entertainment LLC and owner of the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football Team (2011–2019).

During his 14-year career with the Buccaneers (1995–2009), Brooks earned 11 Pro Bowl selections, nine All-Pro honors, and was named the 2002 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. A model of consistency, he never missed a game and anchored one of the league's top defenses for a decade. Brooks was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He was also selected to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, and his No. 55 jersey is retired in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.

A standout at Florida State University, Brooks was a four-year letterman and three-time All-American, earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1993 and helping lead the Seminoles to a national championship. He was selected by Tampa Bay with the 28th overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

Beyond football, Brooks continues to serve the sport as an on-field appeals officer for the NFL and previously worked as an ESPN NFL analyst (2009–2011). From 2006 to 2012, he was Managing Member of Brooks 55 Labor Enterprises, L.L.C., a staffing and workforce solutions company.

His previous civic involvement includes serving on the boards of the Florida State University Board of Trustees, Florida Department of Education Foundation, Saint Leo University, and the Florida Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

Brooks and his wife, Carol, have four children—Briana, Derrick Jr., Darius, and DaNia. DaNia is currently a junior infielder on the USF softball team.

About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, will enter its 60^thseason in 2025-26.
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Hospital Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 154 conference titles across 16 sports, with 82 men's championships and 72 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, USF has secured 36 conference team titles.
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 21 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above as of spring 2025. Since 2015, more than 800 Bulls have earned their degrees.
 
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