University of Rhode Island

Recruiting Areas

• Connecticut
• North Carolina
• South Carolina

Jack Cooper joined the Rhode Island coaching staff as the defensive coordinator in February of 2020. He enters his third season with the program in 2022-23.

In 2021, Cooper led a resurgent defensive effort for Rhode Island. The Rams ranked in the Top 50 in points allowed per game (25.36/49th); yards allowed per play (5.17/35th), yards allowed per pass attempt (6.58/29th); yards allowed per pass completion (11.64/40th); defensive pass efficiency (119.39/28th); and sacks per game (2.45/33rd). 

Cooper’s work helped Rhode Island go 7-4 this season, the program’s most wins since the 2001 season 20 years ago. Redshirt junior cornerback Jordan Jones was an Associated Press All-American Second-Team selection. Jones, graduate student safety Coby Tippett and redshirt senior outside linebacker L.B. Mack III all earned CAA Football All-Conference honors this season for the Rams. Following the season, Cooper was among just five FCS assistant coaches selection to participate in the prestigious AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. 

In his first year with Rhode Island, Cooper coached safety Cody Tippett to Second Team All-CAA Football honors. Rhode Island's defense forced five interceptions and five sacks in just three games during a COVID-19 pandemmic-shortened season in the spring of 2021. 

Cooper came to the Rams from Nebraska, where he spent two seasons as the defensive quality control coach. He worked closely with the team's defensive backs and assisted the defensive coordinator with game planning and scouting of upcoming opponents.

In his first season in Lincoln, Cooper helped the Husker defense dramatically increase its takeaways and sacks, and Nebraska held two of its final six opponents to single digits.

Cooper spent each of the last four years working on Scott Frost's staff. Before joining Frost in Nebraska, Cooper was a defensive graduate assistant at UCF in 2016-17. In his two seasons at UCF, the Knights lowered their scoring defense average by nearly two touchdowns per game while ranking third nationally in takeaways over the 2016 and 2017 seasons combined.

Previous to UCF, Cooper was a defensive assistant at Yale in 2015. He worked with the defensive backs and special teams at Southern Connecticut State – his alma mater – in 2014, where he also served as the recruiting coordinator. 

Cooper is familiar with the Rhode Island area. He began his coaching career at Salve Regina in Newport in 2013, serving as the school's cornerbacks coach.

As a player, Cooper was a four-year letter winner from 2008 to 2012 at Southern Connecticut State. He was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior, when he also served as a team captain. 

Cooper graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science-physical education from Southern Connecticut State in 2012. He went on to earn his master's degree in sports management from Southern Connecticut State in 2016.

He and his wife Alex welcomed their first son, J.J., in June of 2021.

Coaching Experience
2013: Salve Regina, Assistant Coach (Cornerbacks)
2014: Southern Connecticut State, Assistant Coach (Defensive Backs/Special Teams/Recruiting Coordinator)
2015: Yale, Defensive Assistant
2016-17: UCF, Defensive Graduate Assistant
2018-19: Nebraska, Defensive Quality Control

updated 7/3/2021