Keanon Cooper (Minnesota '11) has served on the Augsburg football coaching staff since 2018 as an assistant coach, and began leading the program's recruiting efforts in summer 2020.
Prior Coaching Experience:
Cooper spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, assisting with the defensive backs. He worked in all aspects of coaching and recruiting during his Gopher tenure. Prior to coaching at Minnesota, he spent the 2015 season as an assistant at Augsburg's MIAC rival, Hamline University, coaching the linebackers. He also coached in 2014 at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, coaching the linebackers.
Playing Experience/Achievements:
Cooper was the epitome of a "student-athlete" while a player at Minnesota. He was a three-year starting linebacker and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three times. In 50 games for the Gophers, Cooper had 257 career tackles, 17.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, five pass breakups and five forced fumbles. He received the Gophers' first "Gary Tinsley Award" in 2012, presented in honor of Tinsley, who passed away in April 2012. According to the Minnesota website, the award honors a player "who best embraces Tinsley's underdog persona."
Personal Notes:
An all-state player during his high school days in Dallas, Texas, Cooper earned his bachelor's degree in sport management in 2011, and his master's degree in applied Kinesiology in 2018, both from Minnesota.
