"Donald Cooper is an outstanding young coach who is ready for an opportunity such as this," stated Lynn W. Thompson, Director of Athletics. "We feel that he will be able to provide the level of teaching and leadership that is needed to build our program for long term success. "

Cooper comes to Bethune-Cookman from just across the conference, serving two seasons as the assistant head coach for cross country/track & field at South Carolina State University. Prior to SCSU, he served as the assistant head coach and wellness coordinator at Savannah State University. He also spent two seasons as the assistant head coach at Fort Valley State University under SCSU's Tyree Price. Cooper began his coaching career in Atlanta at Morris Brown College in 2000.

"I expect nothing but positives to come out of this program," says Cooper "I believe what I bring to the table will ease the minds of a lot of the athletes. We want to build on the great recognition and attention that the track and field program has brought to the university recently; this is a new era, a new situation, and we're going to create a new environment here."

Cooper is familiar with the Wildcat athletes from his work at South Carolina State. He sees a great deal of positives, but also recognizes where there are program deficiencies in some areas despite recent successes. "The B-CU program has been formulated as a sprint/hurdle program currently," states Cooper, "but the ones who are winning the conference and national titles are the more complete teams, including distance and field events; and that's the area that we want to move toward."

As B-CU's new head coach, Cooper sees the ability to build on the strong sprint and hurdling foundation of the current program by developing the distance and throwing events, assembling a more complete and well-rounded team. He also expects to place greater emphasis on the development and success of the cross country team and distance program.

Aside from intercollegiate coaching, Cooper has trained professional athletes in the National Football League, in addition to working with the National Youth Sports Program. He has done extensive work with those who are physically challenged, training athletes for the Paralympics Games, working at the Center for Visually Impaired, and operating a business in Atlanta, Ga., which provided assistance in Mobility Services and independent living skills for the physically challenged.

A former MEAC standout, Cooper shined in both football and track & field at South Carolina State, as a student-athlete. In track, he was an All-MEAC performer and conference champion in the 400m Hurdles, 110m Hurdles, and 60m Hurdles. Cooper was named the MEAC Outstanding Outdoor Track Athlete in 1994. He was also an NCAA and Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 110m Hurdles (1996). In football, he was named team MVP, and played in the Walter Reed All-Star Game in 1997. In the same year, he was signed as an un-drafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints.

In his coaching career, Cooper has worked with many gifted athletes and aided them in achieving great successes. At FVSU, he led hurdler Lynnesy Daily to two consecutive Division II Outdoor titles in the 100m and 400m hurdles. Dailey still holds the D-II Outdoor National Record in the 400m Hurdles (57.18). Most recently, Cooper helped to guide Tempest Vance to the NCAA Regional Championships and 2009 MEAC record and win in the pentathlon.

Cooper received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology in 1997, plus his master's in Rehabilitation Counseling/Orientation & Mobility in 1999, both from South Carolina State. He holds several certifications, including USATF Certified Official and USATF Level II Certified Coach in combined events, sprints/hurdles and jumps. He is also a USATF Level I Instructor. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Cooper has already sunk his teeth in at the position, coaching the Lady Wildcats cross country team at the Knights Attack Challenge over the weekend in Orlando. Now with a full week working with his team, Cooper takes the Wildcats to Titusville, for the FLRunners.com Invitational.