Steve Cooper's Coaching Journey: From Portland State to UCF Offensive Coordinator
Steve Cooper's career trajectory is a testament to his dedication and expertise in offensive football. From his early days as a player to his current role as offensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Cooper has consistently demonstrated an ability to develop talent, innovate offensively, and achieve impressive results. This article explores Cooper's coaching journey, highlighting his accomplishments and the impact he has had on various programs.
Early Playing and Coaching Career
Cooper's football journey began as a player at Oregon State for one season before transferring to Portland State, where he played for three years. As a two-time letter winner at wide receiver for the Vikings, he was part of the top-ranked passing offense in FCS in 2007 and 2008. Immediately after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy, Cooper transitioned into coaching, becoming a graduate assistant for the team.
Portland State Vikings (2010-2017)
Cooper spent eight years (2010-2017) in various full-time coaching roles at his alma mater, Portland State. He started as the tight ends coach in 2010, where he worked closely with former NFL tight end Julius Thomas. In 2011, he shifted to coaching the wide receivers (2011-2014), guiding Kasey Closs to all-conference honors. Closs ranked 13th in FCS in receiving yardage with 1,167 yards on 63 receptions.
During his final three years (2015-2017) at Portland State, Cooper served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Vikings. In his first year as coordinator, the offense scored the second-most points in school history. That season, he led a dynamic Portland State offense that recorded the largest margin of victory by an FCS school over an FBS program in a dominant 66-7 victory against North Texas. He also mentored quarterback Alex Kuresa to Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year honors. With Cooper calling the plays, the Portland State offense improved its scoring average by 10 points per game and rushed for more than 3,000 yards. As quarterbacks coach, Cooper was a guide and mentor to several young athletes, including former Portland State quarterbacks Davis Alexander and Jalani Eason, in their freshman years. Alexander started in three games that season and had 1,165 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
University of Nebraska (2018-2021)
After his long run at Portland State, Cooper was hired as an offensive quality control coach at the University of Nebraska, where he worked closely with recently re-hired UCF head coach Scott Frost. He began his stint at Nebraska as offensive quality control, a role he served from March of 2018 through November of 2021. In that span, Cooper mentored quarterback Adrian Martinez. Under Cooper's guidance, Martinez's 295.1 passing yards per game ranked first among FBS freshmen and 15th overall in the country. His 7,404 total yards marked him fourth highest on Nebraska's all-time list for total yards while his 64.2 completion percentage checked in second in Nebraska history. In 2018 the Huskers had both a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver for the first time in program history. In 2019, Nebraska tallied its most total yards and points ever in a Big Ten Conference game, and in 2020 ranked second in the Big Ten in rushing offense.
Read also: BYU Years: Steve Young's Rise
In 2021, Cooper served as interim quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator where he was responsible for the game plan against Wisconsin and Iowa. During those games, Nebraska averaged 390 yards of offense against a Wisconsin team with the No. 4-ranked total defense and the Hawkeyes, who ranked 13th in total defense. Despite the impressive offensive statistics, the team’s overall record throughout their time in Nebraska did not live up to expectations.
University of Maine (2023)
Cooper was then hired by the University of Maine as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023. There, he’d lead the Black Bears to the 10th-ranked passing offense in the NCAA D1 FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) with 3,081 yards. Under his direction, quarterback Derek Robertson finished the season ranked ninth nationally with 25 passing touchdowns.
Long time University of Maine play-by-play radio announcer Rich Kimball has seen many offensive coordinators come and go, but remembers Cooper’s coaching vividly. “He’s pretty cerebral. He looks at the game differently than a lot of coaches do,” Kimball said. Stylistically, Kimball said Cooper’s approach to running an offense was never caught up in trying to outsmart the opposing team’s defense. “He’s shown the tendency throughout his career to lead players to positions and skills that they maybe didn’t know they had themselves, so he gets the best out of people.” Kimball said.
Boise State (2024)
Cooper spent the 2024 season as the offensive analyst at Boise State. With Cooper’s assistance, Boise State compiled a 12-1 record and earned the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos rank fourth nationally in scoring offense (39.1 points per game) and sixth nationally in rushing offense (250.5 yards per game).
UCF Knights
Finally, Cooper finds himself in Orlando as offensive coordinator for UCF, and once again working under head coach Scott Frost. “First off, I want to express my deepest appreciation to Coach Frost for believing in me and offering this incredible opportunity to join Knight Nation as offensive coordinator,” said Cooper. “I’m beyond excited to contribute to this program’s rich tradition of offensive innovation and success." There’s no doubt that Cooper has an extensive resume when it comes to running an offense, however, this will be his first time as an offensive coordinator at a P4 school.
Read also: Steve Madden Style for Students
Junipero Serra High School quarterback coach Jalani Eason said, “You [UCF] do have a coach and a coordinator who put 110% outside of practices, outside of the game, to make sure the offense is where it needs to be,” Eason said. “Football junkie at heart, and he loves his players just as much. “The offense will play fast. It’s a very quarterback friendly offense.” Eason said. “You’ll see a lot of motions.
Read also: Remembering Steve McNair's College Days
tags: #steve #cooper #ucf #coaching #career
