Cross Country Coaching Staff
Head Coach Greg Cooper
Greg
Cooper enters his second year as the men’s and women’s track and field and
cross country. In his first season as head cross country coach, Cooper was
named AMCC Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s cross country. For
the first time ever, both the men’s and women’s teams captured the AMCC
Championships in the same season. Other highlights of the 2007 season under
Cooper included the selection of thirteen Behrend runners to the AMCC
all-conference team, while the women’s cross country team was named a
national all-academic team by the United States Track & Field and Cross
Country Coaches Association.
Cooper previously served under his father, Dave Cooper, as assistant coach of the track and field team for five years and the cross country team for two years. As an assistant coach Cooper specialized in the 400 and 800 meter sprints as well as the hurdles. He played an integral role in coaching Isiah Meek to national qualifying times in both the indoor and outdoor hurdles. This season Cooper will also be taking on the additional assignments of coaching the 100 and 200 meter sprint events.
Cooper was a cross country and track standout at Union City High School where he was a PIAA champion in track & field (4 x 800 meter relay) and captain of Union City’s 1996 PIAA State Champion cross country team. Cooper continued his success at Behrend, where he set records in the 400 and 800 meters as well as three relay records.
Cooper graduated from the Behrend MBA program in May of 2006. In addition to coaching Cooper also instructs in the health and physical education department.
E-mail Coach Greg Cooper: gdc120@psu.edu
Assistant Coach Dave Cooper
Coach
Dave Cooper enters his eighth year as track and field and cross
country coach at Penn State Behrend. Cooper previously served as the
head coach for both track and field and cross country at Behrend for
six seasons before transitioning to the assistant coach role in the
spring of 2007.
In six seasons as head coach, Cooper was named AMCC Coach of the Year three times. He also led the women's team to a pair of conference titles.
Cooper had previously served the Union City School District for 31 years where he taught physical education and health and wellness classes. Cooper also led the very successful cross country program for 28 seasons and was the head coach of the track and field program for six years after serving as an assistant coach with that program for three years.
Among his many accomplishments are the capturing of the Boys State Cross Country Championship Title in 1996 and 1997, the state runners-up title in 1990, and 19 league titles. His boys dual meet record was 249 wins and 32 losses. The girls program, which was initiated by Cooper, secured ten conference crowns. In 2000, he was listed among the "Coaches of the Century" by the Erie Times Sports Department.
While serving as a coach at Behrend, Cooper also instructs in the health and physical education department.
E-mail Coach Dave Cooper: dac26@psu.edu