Quick Facts
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James Cooper (born February 12, 1982) is an American college baseball coach, currently serving as head coach of the Grambling State Tigers baseball team. He was named to that position prior to the 2010 season.
Playing career
Cooper was an outfielder for Grambling, where he earned All-Conference honors and played under longtime head coach Wilbert Ellis. He was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2004 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. He played two seasons in the Astros system, reaching Class A, and one season of independent baseball before ending his playing career.
Coaching career
Cooper returned to Grambling as an assistant to new head coach Barret Rey. He helped rebuild the Tigers program, qualifying for a pair of Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament appearances in three years. With Rey's departure for SWAC rival Alcorn State, Cooper was elevated to head coach. In his first season, Cooper led the Tigers to a SWAC Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Regional. Cooper earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grambling State (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2010–present) | |||||||||
| 2010 | Grambling State | 22–32 | 11–14 | 3rd West (5) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2011 | Grambling State | 23–26 | 14–10 | 2nd West (5) | SWAC Tournament | ||||
| 2012 | Grambling State | 22–26 | 13–11 | 3rd West (5) | SWAC Tournament | ||||
| 2013 | Grambling State | 18–30 | 9–15 | 5th West (5) | |||||
| 2014 | Grambling State | 16–32 | 11–13 | 4th West (5) | SWAC Tournament | ||||
| 2015 | Grambling State | 11-39 | 9-20 | 4th West | |||||
| 2016 | Grambling State | 22-27 | 15-8 | 2nd West | |||||
| Grambling State: | 134-186 | 82-91 | |||||||
| Total: | 134-186 | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||