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OSU's Cooper earns his sport's top honor
First coach to lead Pac-10 and Big Ten teams to Rose Bowl victories will go into the Hall of Fame.
> Does Cooper deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?
Friday, May 02, 2008
CINCINNATI — John Cooper has reached college football immortality.
The former Ohio State coach joins coach Lou Holtz and 13 former All-America players elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Get latest headlines via RSS feedsThe National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame made the announcement on Thursday, May 1.
"This is the pinnacle of my coaching career," Cooper said from his home in Columbus. "It's the greatest honor you can have. It doesn't get any bigger than this.
"I reflect back when I was a young coach, going to conventions and having an opportunity just to see John McKay, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Frank Broyles and Darrell Royal. It's a very humbling experience to be selected."
The 2008 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-A) Class will be inducted at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City and enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2009.
"I got the call on Saturday, but was sworn to secrecy until (Thursday)," said Cooper, a scouting consultant for the Cincinnati Bengals. "It's the hardest thing in the world for a coach to keep his mouth shut for almost a week."
Cooper compiled a 192-84-6 (.691) record in 24 years as a head coach at Tulsa (1977-84), Arizona State (1985-87) and Ohio State (1988-2000). He's the first coach in history to lead a Big Ten and a Pac-10 team to victories in the Rose Bowl.
"When you get your first job, you just want to survive," Cooper said. "My first year at Tulsa, we were 3-8. I'm thinking, 'Holy cow, I better turn this thing around.' The next year we went 9-2 and averaged eight wins the rest of my career.
"I've always said, 'When you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life.' I can't remember a day that I got up in the morning and said, 'Hey, I don't want to go to work today.' I was always looking forward to it. If we lost a game, I got up a little earlier the next morning and worked a little harder."
Cooper appreciates going into the Hall with Holtz.
"Lou can talk for both of us," he said. "I can relax and enjoy it."
b>Class of 2008
PLAYERS
Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA (1987-88)
Billy Cannon, HB, LSU (1957-59)
Jim Dombrowski, OT, Virginia (1982-85)
Pat Fitzgerald, LB, Northwestern (1994-96)
Wilber Marshall, LB, Florida (1980-83)
Rueben Mayes, RB, Wash. St. (1982-85)
Randall McDaniel, OG, Arizona St. (1984-87)
Don McPherson, QB, Syracuse (1984-87)
Jay Novacek, TE, Wyoming (1982-84)
Dave Parks, WR, Texas Tech (1961-63)
Ron Simmons, DT, Florida State (1977-80)
Thurman Thomas, RB, Okla. St. (1984-87)
Arnold Tucker, QB, Army (1944-46)
COACHES
John Cooper: 192-84-6 (.691)
Lou Holtz: 249-132-7 (.651)
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com
Comments
By Brad
May 6, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
Yes, he should go to the HOF. His record speaks for itself.So he never beat “Big Blue” but beat everyone else. Go BUCKS!
By JC
May 5, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Cooper might ask Lou Holtz what he saw in Ohio native and Mr. Football Ryan Brewer who gave John his final loss as the Bucks coach. Go Cocks!!!!
By GoBucks
May 5, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
Of course he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I, like innumerous other Buckeyes fans, was tired of losing to Michigan and in bowl games. But when a coach is bringing you 9-10 wins a season every year, he deserves some credit for it.
By the time he was let go, it was time for a change. But I hold no animosity toward him. He continues to be a good representative for the school and for the city. It’s time to remember the good he did instead of dwelling only on his failures.
By GoBucks
May 5, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
Of course he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I, like innumerous other Buckeyes fans, was tired of losing to Michigan and in bowl games. But when a coach is bringing you 9-10 wins a season every year, he deserves some credit for it.
By the time he was let go, it was time for a change. But I hold no animosity toward him. He continues to be a good representative for the school and for the city. It’s time to remember the good he did instead of dwelling only on his failures.
By OSURules2008
May 3, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
Every OSU fan has mixed reactions to Cooper. Was he a great recruiter? Yes. Did he win the big games, especially with teams loaded with talent? No. BUT he did recruit most of the players on the 2002 championship team, which paved the way for Tress to take the progam a notch higher.
By OSURules2008
May 3, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this
Every OSU fan has mixed reations to Cooper. Was he a great recruiter? Yes. Did he win the big games, especially with teams loaded with talent? No. BUT he did recruit most of the players on the 2002 championship team, which paved the way for Tress to take the progam a notch higher.
By OSU Lover
May 2, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this
I love Cooper and I love them Bucks so GO BUCKS…O-H-I-O I love it. I don’t likes Michiogan and I think hey ere a bad team. Hang on Slloopy and GO BUCKS # 1 in the world always and better then Universety of Michegan! I am smart Ohio stae fan GO BUCKS! Oh yeah GO BUCKS #1 and Michegean is not #1 but we ere good
By Mandy
May 2, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
No, Coach Cooper doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Whether he had several players drafted into the NFL has nothing to do with his inability to move the ball up the field and into the end zone! How many championships did he get for OSU?? That’s right, OSU became a powerful force to reckon with when Coach Tressel took over. Now there’s a man that deserves the Hall of Fame recognition!!
By Mandy
May 2, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
No, Coach Cooper doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Whether he had several players drafted into the NFL has nothing to do with his inability to move the ball up the field and into the end zone! How many championships did he get for OSU?? That’s right, OSU became a powerful force to reckon with when Coach Tressel took over. Now there’s a man that deserves the Hall of Fame recognition!!
By Mandy
May 2, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this
No, Coach Cooper doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Whether he had several players drafted into the NFL has nothing to do with his inability to move the ball up the field and into the end zone! How many championships did he get for OSU?? That’s right, OSU became a powerful force to reckon with when Coach Tressel took over. Now there’s a man that deserves the Hall of Fame recognition!!
By Marvin Pate
May 2, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
His inability to beat Michigan is the only blemish on his record. He was a great recruiter and a great coach.
By Bob540
May 2, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
Yes, Coach Cooper deserves it. He was a tremendous recruiter. His teams were powerful and fun to watch. There were years that, in the words of Brent Musberger, it was “just unbelievable” the amount of talent drafted into the NFL from Cooper’s teams. I think his main fault was that he showed too much of the playbook to opponents in the first half of the season and then had little at the end to surprise UM and bowl oppenents. A couple of key wins here and there and he’d be as revered as Jim T
By Lloyd
May 2, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
Yes he does. The MICHIGAN hall of fame that is!
By Todd
May 2, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
Yes, Congrats Coach Cooper! Go Bucks!
By Ron Philpot
May 2, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
I think Couch Cooper going into the hall speaks highly of his abilities as a couch, and the program at OSU. As a diehard fan, it does me good to see him join other OSU greats, and in I look with anticapation at another OSU football couch joing the ranks, but I hope not too soon.
By MARY
May 2, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
YES! COACH JOHN COOPER MOST CERTAINLY DESERVES TO BE IN THE HALL OF FAME. CONGRATULATIONS COACH COOPER!!!
By milt
May 2, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this
no,