Sitting courtside Thursday night at the UK women’s basketball game, Rich Brooks looked like a man at ease with his decision to end his 44-year football coaching career.”Well, I am,” Brooks said. “It was time.”Nearly three weeks since retiring, Brooks kicked back and relaxed with his wife, Karen, on the sidelines as Matthew Mitchell and his team notched their second straight Southeastern Conference victory and 15th overall with a 69-52 victory over Arkansas. Maybe there is still a tiny little fire in him to coach – after all, he had a few words for one of the referees for a non-call late in the second half – but it’s apparent after Thursday’s game that Brooks was ready to hang it up.”I’ve been good. I’m not doing any recruiting,” Brooks said as he cracked a smile. “I had a chance to go down and see my little grandson for his second birthday in Atlanta, so that was fun.”Brooks attended the American Football Coaches Association coaches’ clinic in Orlando, Fla., last week, but otherwise he has spent his time catching up on the things he was unable to do as often while he was coaching, such as visiting with family and friends.The seven-year Kentucky coach caught up with former players Marcus McClinton and Keenan Burton on Wednesday in Lexington. Brooks had a few words of encouragement for Burton, who suffered a season-ending knee injury with the St. Louis Rams a few months ago. “He’s going to be ready to go for the passing camps in June,” Brooks said. “He’s looking forward to the year. He’s a little uncertain with maybe a strike coming up or a lockout or whatever in 2011. I just hope he has a good year coming up.”   The retirement of Brooks has been far from easy for some of the players, especially the former ones, who, with the help of Brooks, took a stagnant football program and transformed it into an annual contender in the Southeastern Conference.”I think they’re doing fine,” Brooks said. “I talked to (current players) a week ago Wednesday for their first day back at school and they’re just going about their business getting ready for spring ball.”There has been an especially high outpouring of love and support from the Kentucky fan base following Brooks’ retirement for a man who made football matter in the Bluegrass State again. Brooks said he is grateful for the kind words but admitted he’s had to take it with a “grain of salt,” much like he did when he took a beating of criticism for his first few years on the job, because it’s only a few weeks into the Joker Phillips regime. Under the new initiative “Operation Win,” Brooks said Phillips has been doing a “great job.” The two have had several conversations over the past couple of weeks while Phillips has been on the road recruiting. Brook said he would like to help Phillips in whatever capacity he can, but he admitted it’s now Phillips’ show to run.”He’s the guy,” Brooks said. “He will bounce a few things off of me from time to time, but I’m sure that will diminish as the weeks go on.”Mitchell and his team dedicated the game ball to Brooks on Thursday for his longtime dedication of UK Hoops. “That’s a real honor,” Brooks said. “I’ve been a big fan of his and what he’s trying to do here and I think this is the team that’s in transition from being semi-competitive to one that can get back into the Big Dance, so I’m really excited for him.”As far as the long-term future is concerned, Brooks has no set plan. For now, it’s time to catch up with family and friends and enjoy the good life of retirement.”I’m just going down to do a little bone fishing with a friend of mine in the Bahamas and then back out to Oregon to see my family out there and then probably back here to see some more friends,” Brooks said.After his honest, hard-working rein at UK, he has plenty of them to go around and see.