Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Sumlin officially announced the addition of Ron Cooper as the Aggies’ new secondary coach Friday afternoon in light of former A&M defensive backs coach Terry Joseph’s hiring at North Carolina last month.
Cooper arrives from Florida International, where he was the Panthers’ interim head coach for the last eight games this past season.
“I am excited about the opportunity Coach Sumlin has given me at Texas A&M,” Cooper said. “I look forward to getting to know our players and working with our staff. I have been across the field from the Aggies on a few occasions. I look forward to being a part of the Aggie family.”
Prior to his stint in Miami – where he had been on staff since 2015 as the assistant head and secondary coach – Cooper made numerous stops, most notably as head coach at Eastern Michigan (1993-94), Louisville (1995-97), and Alabama A&M (1998-2001).
Cooper has made three stops at SEC schools as well, most recently at LSU from 2009-11 where he served as the Tigers’ secondary coach under current A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis. Cooper worked with LSU defensive back standouts Tyrann Mathieu, Morris Claiborne and Patrick Peterson while in Baton Rouge.
Cooper also coached at South Carolina from 2004-08 and Mississippi State for one season in 2003, giving him deep experience within the Southeastern Conference at schools A&M now faces on an annual basis.
“I am very pleased to have Ron join our staff,” Sumlin said. “He has experience in the SEC, has been a head coach, a coordinator and has worked with Coach Chavis as well. He will work with our secondary as well as our entire team.”
Cooper has led several top-ten passing defenses during his time as an SEC assistant. South Carolina finished second nationally in 2008 (159.2 yards per games) and his 2011 LSU squad ranked eighth in the FBS in 2011.
A&M finished 45^th in the FBS in pass defense efficiency in 2016, allowing 213 passing yards per game. Cooper, however, inherits a veteran group that returns four of its five starters next season.
The Aggies are slated to begin spring practice on March 1.