Ron Cooper, a successful and seasoned coach with experience at top-ranked universities, was tabbed to lead LIU’s Division I football team in January 2022. Cooper joined Shark Nation directly from perennial national championship contender Alabama.
In his first season at the helm with the Sharks, he led the team to four consecutive victories to close the season. His staff developed student-athletes who earned 10 All-NEC postseason honors and seven academic all-district awards.
Cooper arrived at LIU with 10 years of experience as a head coach in Division I football, and with decades of work as a defensive coordinator and assistant coach at both the NCAA Division I level and in the NFL.
In addition to working alongside Nick Saban as an analyst at Alabama during the 2021 season, Cooper has served as head football coach at Eastern Michigan, Louisville, Alabama A&M and Florida International. Other notable experience includes coaching at Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Mississippi State and South Florida.
Cooper also served as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one season.
At Texas A&M, Cooper developed an inexperienced secondary. One of the leaders in the lineup was Armani Watts, who finished the season with 87 tackles, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown, en route to being named to the Associated Press All-America third team and the All-SEC first team (Coaches and AP).
Cooper served as the LSU secondary coach from 2009 through '11. He mentored one of the top secondaries in the country, highlighted by national award winners Morris Claiborne, Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.
In both 2010 and 2011, Cooper and the Tigers defense featured the Thorpe Award winner as the nation's top defensive back, with Peterson and Claiborne, respectively, as well as the Bednarik Award winner as the nation's top defender in Peterson and Mathieu. LSU was also home to the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Peterson (2010), Mathieu (2011 by AP) and Claiborne (2011 by Coaches).
Cooper coached at South Carolina, with a defense that ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the nation in pass defense, allowing only 160 yards per game. With the Gamecocks, Cooper helped lead the team to appearances in the 2005 Independence Bowl, 2006 Liberty Bowl and 2009 Outback Bowl.
At Alabama A&M, Cooper guided the Bulldogs to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game. His squad led the nation in rushing defense and ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense. He discovered defensive end Robert Mathis and coached him in his first three collegiate seasons. Mathis went on to a 14-year NFL career with the Colts, making six Pro Bowls and earning AFC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2013.
Cooper’s 1995 Louisville team led the nation in takeaways and finished ninth nationally in scoring defense. The following season, the Cardinals finished fourth in total and rushing defense.
Cooper has coached alongside some of the most successful and highly regarded coaches in college football, including current and future hall of famers Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz and Barry Alvarez.
Cooper is married to wife Rhonda. They have seven children and six grandchildren.
