Time heals all
John Cooper makes it into college football’s hall
By VR Bryant
It’s something I remember fairly vividly — there were copies of The Lantern littered all over campus, and there was an oddly joyful exuberance about. Some people, I suppose, were indifferent. Most, however, were happy. John Cooper had been shown the door, and Ohio State football would have a new head coach for the first time in thirteen years.
At the time, of course, nobody knew who the next man was going to be. I found this pretty troubling, which certainly colored my perception of the issue. Sure, I had been as frustrated as the next guy by Cooper’s difficulties with Michigan, and the disciplinary shortcomings were significant. Nonetheless, it seemed that having Coop was better than having to go fishing for a replacement.
In fairness, I was perhaps too young to truly appreciate the crippling heartbreak caused by the ten losses to Michigan, with special consideration to those of 1993, 1995 and1996. The amount of emotional investment an eleven-year-old can muster certainly pales in comparison to that of the bulk of Ohio State fans at the time of his firing.
And, following the 1998 Sugar Bowl win and final no. 2 national ranking, Cooper led the Bucks to just fourteen wins in two seasons and only one bowl. Which they lost.
His 3-7 record in bowl games was not good enough. His 2-10-1 record versus the Wolverines was definitely not good enough. He was, is, and will likely continue to be heavily maligned by fans and critics, and the squeaky-clean success story of Jim Tressel isn’t likely to help his image.
So why, then, is he still around?
When Cooper was fired, there didn’t seem to be any bad blood. He didn’t sell his house and move away. He didn’t go looking for other jobs. He even helped welcome and acclimate Tressel to his first Division I coaching gig.
Like Lloyd Carr (if you’ll forgive the connection), he was gracious in defeat. Unlike Rich Rodriguez, Tressel was gracious in accepting the job. The result of all this was the harmonious family atmosphere that Cooper is still a part of today.
He meets with the team, he talks to the team. The athletic department holds ceremonious surprise press conferences to announce his Hall of Fame induction.
If you ask the average fan his opinion of John Cooper, I suppose you’d get some pretty mixed results, but it’s clear that the official position is pretty positive. And why shouldn’t it be? Let’s look at the facts:
Apart from the aforementioned difficulties in bowls and in The Big Game, Cooper’s overall record of 111-43-4 (70.2%) while at Ohio State is more than respectable. His Buckeyes, between 1992 and 1998, finished no worse than 18th in the country, with three top ten finishes in those seven years — four if you count 1993 (10th/11th).
Cooper was at the helm for the 1996 Rose Bowl, which remains one of the most memorable victories in the history of the program, and he coached (and recruited) some of the greatest players this school (or any other) has ever seen. Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Mike Vrabel, Robert Smith, etc. etc.
More to the point, since 1951, Ohio State has only had four head football coaches. Some schools go through four in a decade. Being the coach of this team and keeping the job for thirteen years is, in itself, worthy of praise.
It’s unfortunate that Cooper’s tenure at OSU ended with such ignominy. The fact of the matter is that Ohio State fans just do not tolerate losing to Michigan, and that’s what Cooper did. That fact will forever mar his reputation. Even so, eight years after Cooper’s departure, it seems that all the principals have made peace with the past.
John Cooper is a Hall of Fame football coach, folks. Time to get used to the idea.
Originally Published: Issue 647 - May 7, 2008
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