A.J. Cooper

Sun Devil Football head coach Kenny Dillingham welcomed home a Valley native and standout defensive coach at Washington State in A.J. Cooper, who will coach the linebackers and is the run game coordinator on Dillingham's inaugural staff.    Cooper spent the last three seasons at Washington State, the most recent as the defensive run game coordinator while also working with the edges. Cooper coached the edges in 2020 and took on additional duties as defensive line coach 2021. Under Cooper's watch, Washington State transformed into one of the more impressive defenses in the Pac-12 with some of the most productive edge defenders and outside linebackers in the league under his guidance.   "One thing that stands out about the players under A.J. Cooper's guidance is how tenacious they are on defense. They have a motor and are always around the ball," Dillingham said. "I have already said how aggressive I want our defense to be and we took steps to get there with this addition. It took us a while but we finally brought Coach Cooper back home."   In three seasons with the Cougars, the WSU edge defenders have recorded 285 quarterback pressures - third in the Pac-12 and just two behind Utah - which has played more games than WSU since 2020. WSU's 250 pressures in the last two seasons without the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season are second in the Pac-12 and 11th in the FBS.  "The opportunity to return home and work at a place that is truly special was too good to pass up," Cooper said. "I want to thank Ray Anderson, Jean Boyd, and Kenny Dillingham for letting me be a part of this outstanding coaching staff. I look forward to being a part of the Sun Devil Family."   WSU finished second in the Pac-12 this season in averaging 6.2 tackles for loss per game and were fourth in the league with 2.42 sacks per game. The team was 35th in the FBS in allowing just 127.4 rush yards per game. Cooper's edge defenders posted 46 tackles for loss or no gain on run plays in the last two seasons - the 17th-most of any edge group in the FBS in that time. The group recorded 113 defensive "stops" in the last two seasons - 20th in the FBS - and did so without letting the opposition get down the field with an average tackle depth within just 2.10 yards of the line of scrimmage - 22nd in the FBS.   The 2022 season saw linebacker Daiyan Henley become the first Cougar linebacker to earn first-team honors since Will Derting in 2003. Henley, a graduate transfer from Nevada, enters the LA Bowl second in the Pac-12 with 106 tackles, third with 12 tackles-for-loss, tied for the league lead with three forced fumbles, recovered two fumbles and picked off one pass. The Los Angeles native owns five double-digit tackle games this season including game-highs of 11 at No. 6 USC, 13 at Oregon State, 12 against No. 14 Utah and 10 against Arizona State. Henley, WSU's first Butkus Award Finalist in program history, also paces the team with six special teams tackles.   Cooper guided edge defenders Ron Stone Jr. and Brennan Jackson to their second and third - respectively - all-conference honors. Stone recorded 31 tackles including four for loss with two sacks, three pass breakups and tied for second in the Pac-12 with 11 quarterback hits. Jackson recorded 39 tackles, tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with 11 tackles-for-loss including a team-high five sacks. Jackson also forced one fumble, broke up two passes and led the team with 38 quarterback pressures.   In Cooper's second season in Pullman in 2021, he mentored a young edge group into one of the best in the Pac-12 Conference. Led by 2021 All-Pac-12 First-Team selection Stone and 2021 honorable mention pick Jackson, the Cougar edge group combined for 153 tackles, 29 tackles-for-loss and 16.5 sacks. Midway through the 2021 season, Cooper added the defensive tackles to his duties due to changes in the Cougar coaching staff. Over those final seven games, the Cougar defense held opponents to more than three fewer points per game, allowed opponents 31.6 fewer yards per game, all while leading the Pac-12 for the season in turnover margin and defensive takeaways.   In his first season in Pullman, the Washington State defense produced four All-Pac-12 Conference selections including Edge Brennan Jackson who finished the shortened season fourth on team with 19 tackles and second with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and tied for the team lead. The Cougar defense led the league with eight forced fumbles and was fourth in rush defense (154.8), a 30-yard improvement from the previous season.   Cooper, who owns nearly two decades of college coaching experience, arrived at Washington State after spending six seasons working the defensive ends and special teams for the University of Wyoming. Prior to the 2019 season, Cooper was promoted to serve as the Cowboys' defensive run-game coordinator. For Wyoming, he coached five All-Mountain West Conference players including one Special Teams Player of the Year and one Freshman All-American on the defensive line.   Cooper helped the 2019 Cowboys finish sixth in the country in red zone defense, No. 11 in the country in rush defense (107.1) and scoring defense (17.8), No. 40 in tackles-for-loss (83) and No. 43 in total defense. Cooper helped coach All-Mountain West Conference second-team selection punt returner Austin Conway and saw redshirt-freshman defensive end Solomon Byrd earn Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers of America.   In 2018, Wyoming's defense was among the best in the nation, finishing the season No. 19 in total defense (326.2), No. 25 in rushing defense (129.5), No. 28 in scoring defense (22.0) and No. 32 in pass defense (196.7). On special teams, Wyoming's field-goal unit protected kicker Cooper Rothe, who led the nation in field-goal percentage at 94.1 percent (16-of-17), was named the 2018 Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-MWC, and a Lou Groza Award Finalist.   The 2017 Cowboy defense become one of the best groups in the country as they led the country in takeaways (38), ranked ninth in scoring defense (17.5), were first in fumbles recovered (18), second in interceptions (20), eighth in defensive touchdowns scored (4), No. 13 in pass defense (174.9) and No. 23 in total defense (335.2). Cowboy special teams matched the impressive numbers, leading the country in kickoff return (28.3) and No. 30 in the nation in punt return (10.2) while the punt return coverage team was No. 27 nationally (4.7). Individually, Cowboy kickoff returner Tyler Hall earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors as a sophomore.   As a unit, the 2016 Cowboy defense ranked first in the country with five defensive touchdowns, No. 10 with 25 takeaways, No. 15 with 12 fumble recoveries, No. 22 with 15 interceptions. For Cooper, sophomore defensive end Kevin Prosser ranked ninth in the conference with 6.5 sacks. Several of Cooper's special teams units excelled as well, the punt team ranked No. 24 in the nation in punt return defense (4.6) while net punting (39.3) ranked No. 31 in the country behind two-time Ray Guy Award Watch List punter Ethan Wood. The kick return team was fourth in the Mountain West (22.2) led by kick returner D.J. May who earned second-team All-MWC honors after averaging 27.9 yards-per-return, ninth-best in the country.     The 2015 season saw Wyoming senior defensive end Eddie Yarbrough earn second-team All-MWC honors and was named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List and the Ted Hendricks Award Watch List as a junior and senior. He concluded his Wyoming playing career as the all-time leader in tackles for loss (39) and ninth all-time in career sacks (21.5), and signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos following the 2016 NFL Draft. Several special teams' units also performed well in 2015 led by the kickoff coverage team who led the league in allowing 21.3 yards per kickoff return while the punt coverage team ranked was No. 21 nationally (4.6). The Cowboys averaged 23.5 yards per kick return to rank No. 29 in the nation led by kick returner D.J. May averaged 26.2 yards per kickoff return to rank No. 24 in the NCAA.     In 2014, Cooper also coached defensive end Yarbrough, who earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a junior.   From 2009 through 2013, Cooper coached the North Dakota State defensive ends and added special teams to his coaching responsibilities in 2013. He helped NDSU to a 43-2 (.956) overall record and a 22-2 (.917) Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) mark on way to its three consecutive FCS national titles. The 2013 NDSU squad became the first undefeated (15-0) FCS National Champion since Marshall went 15-0 to win the 1996 title. NDSU extended its winning streak to 24 consecutive games with the 2013 FCS Championship, tying both the FCS and NDSU records for consecutive victories.    As the defensive ends coach at North Dakota State, Cooper helped the Bison lead the nation in scoring defense for three consecutive seasons (2011-13), holding opponents to only 12.7 ppg in 2011, 11.5 ppg in 2012 and only 11.3 ppg in 2013. The 2013 Bison defense also ranked third in the FCS in total defense (255.9, second in pass efficiency defense (97.59), third in rushing defense (91.3) and eighth in passing yards allowed (164.6).     In addition to leading the nation in scoring defense in 2012, NDSU led the nation in total defense (234.5), was first in first downs allowed (12.67), second in pass defense (140.6) and fourth in rushing defense (93.9).   Prior to becoming the defensive ends coach in 2009, Cooper worked with the offensive line and tight ends as a student assistant and graduate assistant with the program from 2006-08. Prominent players who Cooper coached at North Dakota State included Coulter Boyer, who in 2011 earned Third Team All-America honors as a defensive end from Beyond Sports College Network and Honorable Mention All-America honors from College Sports Journal. Cooper coached defensive end Cole Jirik, who was a Second Team All-America selection by College Sports Madness in 2012. A third NDSU defensive end who Cooper coached and went on to earn All-Conference recognition was Kyle Emanuel, who was a Second Team All-MVFC selection in 2013.   An outstanding tight end for the Bison in the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Cooper earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from the Football Gazette in '05. He caught 24 passes for 473 yards (19.7 yards per catch) and scored four touchdowns as a senior.  He was selected First Team All-Great West Football Conference as a senior, and also earned All-Northwest Region honors. Following his college playing career, Cooper signed a free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2006.   Originally from Phoenix, Ariz., Cooper began his college playing career at Glendale Community College where he led all junior college tight ends in three different categories as a sophomore, receptions (44), receiving yards (578) and touchdown receptions (8).   Cooper earned his bachelor's degree from NDSU in criminal justice in 2006.  He and his wife, Amanda, who is a former NDSU women's basketball player, were married in July 2011. They have two sons, Carter Johnson and Cameron Myles.