Brandon Cooper - Football Coach - Murray State University Athletics

Brandon Cooper

Title:
Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
Email:
msu.football@murraystate.edu
Phone:
(270) 809-6834

Brandon Cooper is entering his first season on the Racers defensive staff, specifically coaching the linebackers and coordinating the special teams. Cooper has over seven years of coaching experience at the collegiate level and most recently coached the secondary at Chattanooga, where he was a part of back-to-back Southern Conference championship teams. The Mocs also advanced to the quarter finals of the FCS playoffs in 2014 for the first time ever and finished as the eighth-ranked team in the county in 2014.

During the 2014 season with the Mocs, the defense ranked in the Top 10 in the FCS in nearly every category, including first down defense (6th, 15.7 per game), total defense (8th, 277.9), pass defense (9th, 153.2) and scoring defense (12th, 19.7) . Cooper also mentored All-American punt returner Tommy Hudson as well as SoCon All-Freshman defensive back Tavon Lawson.

In 2013, the Mocs had one of the top defenses in the FCS , allowing a SoCon-low 329 yards per game. Cooper’s group helped Chattanooga allow a SoCon-best 20.5 points per game while allowing just 152 passing yards per game, the fifth-lowest total in the nation. Also during that season, Cooper mentored All-SoCon honoree Chaz Moore.

Cooper spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons at Jacksonville State, where he coached the cornerbacks and dimes. There he helped the Gamecocks to an OVC title in 2011, when the JSU defense led the OVC in rushing defense (144.9), scoring defense (24.8), third downs allowed (33.3) and interceptions (16) in league-only games.

A.J. Davis was an All-OVC corner for JSU that season and went on to spend time with the New Orleans Saints. In 2012, he guided cornerback Jermaine Hugh to Freshman All-American recognition and a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer team.

Before joining the Gamecocks, Cooper spent three years at UT Martin coaching the cornerbacks. UTM led the league in total defense in 2010, allowing just 299.3 yards per game, and also led the conference in total defense, passing defense, passing efficiency defense, first down and third down defense.

Cooper was a four-year letterman for the Skyhawks from 2003-06 and helped lead UT Martin to its first-ever OVC Championship as a senior in 2006. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earned his Bachelor's degree in Health and Human Performance from UT Martin in 2007. Cooper was married in May of 2015 to his wife, Natasha and currently resides in Murray.