Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: Tulsa (1977-84), Arizona State (1985-87), Ohio State (1988-2000)
Place of Birth: Knoxville, TN
Date of Birth: Jul 02, 1937
The first coach in history to lead both a Big Ten and a Pac-10 team to victories in the Rose Bowl, Coach John Cooper ranks second only to the legendary Woody Hayes in all-time wins at Ohio State. Under Cooper?s watch, Ohio State teams finished the regular season ranked in the Top 25 in 12 of his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes. He tallied at least a share of nine conference championships, including five at Tulsa, one at Arizona State and three at OSU. A four-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach of the Year, Cooper led his teams to 14 bowl games in 24 seasons. A Tennessee native and former MVP on the Iowa State football team, Cooper coached Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George and two-time Lombardi winner Orlando Pace as well as 20 First Team All-Americas, seven NFF National Scholar-Athletes and one NFF Draddy Trophy recipient during his career. Cooper formerly served as the president of the American Football Coaches Association and as a professional scout in the NFL. He currently acts as a college football analyst for ESPN and resides in Columbus, Ohio.
