Old School Coaches- Mike Cooper’s Blueprint for Success

In Illinois girls basketball, Mike Cooper was one of the most respected coaches by his peers. For me, although he was a competitor, he was and still is a respected friend. I can’t count the number of times that I called him for advice. 

Sometimes I was calling to seek his advice on X/O’s. His knowledge of the game was second to none. If it was calling to ask him to share some scouting info or to share how to handle a certain defense- he was willing to share. 

Once before we were to play an opponent in the Sectional who played  a zone vs OB’s, he shared a zone ob with me. We scored 4 points on the play and it made the difference in the game. 

In 1999, we went to State and I wanted someone to scout for us at the State Tourney. Coop was willing to do this. His insights were tremendous, and with his help, we took second in State.

While I enjoyed our X/O’s conversations, my best conversations involved his insights about building relationships. Coop is thoughtful of others, professional, and respectful. I have not met anyone who doesn’t have the highest respect for Coop as a coach and as a person. 

I asked coaches and players to share their memories of working with Coop. 

Sarah (Wiesbrock) Evola

Played for Coach Cooper from 1994-1997

Coop was successful because he knew how to get the best out of the players he had.  He didn't stick with the same things year in and year out.  He would evaluate the players he had and adapt.  He also created a culture that his players bought into.  You would run through a brick wall for him.  

Coop always told us MTXE...Mental toughness, extra effort.  If you could give those each night, we had a chance. 

Coop's impact on my life is immeasurable.  He taught me how to be successful on the court for sure, but the things he taught me off the court were the most valuable.   He taught me that the good stuff doesn't come easy, you have to put in the work to get the reward.  He taught me that the team always comes before self.  He taught me that showing up for people matters.  

Probably my favorite memory was my senior year when we played in front of a big crowd at home for the conference championship against Dixon.  It wasn't my best game individually, but man was it fun to play in Kingman in front of a big crowd! There's nothing else like it.  Coop used to like to stomp his foot to get my attention, and that night, I couldn't hear it :-) Getting a win to take the conference was awesome. 

Krystal (Rosengren) Johnson 

Played for Coop from 2001-2003.

I think that Coop was as successful as he was because it was important to him to have a strong relationship with his players.   Mike and Marty Kuhn made players feel trusted, important, and loved and in turn their players respected them and wanted to do their best.   Once we knew I was going to be able to go play Division I basketball after high school, Coop guided my family and me through the process and helped us every step of the way.   After graduating, and even still, I have a great relationship with Coop and his family.  

Genuinely, Coop helped shape me to be who I am today.  Basketball ended up being such a huge part of my life and has opened so many doors for me over the years.   Coop taught us to be calm and respectful, but also self-assured and confident.  He taught us how to do things the right way.  Even when, years later, I came back to Ottawa High School as a teacher, he was still one of my #1 cheerleaders.

My favorite memories revolve around my senior year.   I was on top of the basketball world, but Coop made sure that we maintained a selfless, team-first approach.    Our team culture was unified and positive- everyone on the team had fun and was best friends.

Dan Eilts- Sports Editor, Ottawa Daily Times

As Sports Editor of the Ottawa Daily Times, I covered Mike Cooper during his great high school athletic career at Mendota High School, then at IVCC when he was on the Apaches’ basketball team. 

When Mike came to teach and coach at Ottawa High and eventually became the athletic director, I worked closely with him as the stats guy for boys and girls basketball and football at OHS. 

Mike was always so willing and able help me out in any way. He made my passion for Ottawa High stats and athletic history so much easier with his courteous and professional response to my questions and requests. 

What is really cool is that Mike and myself were inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame the same year (2017) and the Ottawa High Hall of Fame the same year (2024)

What a privilege to be inducted into those two prestigious Hall of Fames with such a fine gentleman. 

Jim Carlson- Parent

Mike Cooper coached my three daughters over 9 consecutive years at Ottawa Township High School.  Mike Cooper coached Alyssa Carlson from 2005-06 through 2008-09, Bree Carlson from 2009-10 and 2010-2011, and Catie Carlson from 2011-12 through 2013-14.

The Ottawa Lady Pirates were always well-prepared to take the court.  Coach Cooper had an outstanding awareness of his opponents strengths and weaknesses, which allowed him to focus his athletes during practices and create top-notch game plans.  His teams always played hard.  He tweaked his offensive and defensive approaches based upon the skills, attributes, and talents of his teams.  Each one of my daughters played on a team that won a Regional Championship, even though each were members of a very different kind of team.  He also was the master of the out-of-bounds play!

From an X’s and O’s standpoint, Coop was simply outstanding.  His basketball acumen was beyond reproach.  He communicated very well with his players and their parents.  More than preparation, strategy, and in-game coaching decisions, without a doubt the thing that stands out to me about Mike Cooper is his impeccable character. Never once did I have a concern about my daughters playing for him, Pete Armstrong, JP, or Gordie.  He is a true gentleman. My wife Cathy and I were blessed to have Coop coach our daughters for 9 years, and I don’t use the word blessed lightly.  He treated all his players as athletes, certainly mindful that they were girls and at times really different to coach than their male athletes (I don’t care what anyone says!).  However, while acknowledging the differences, he never once thought or expected less of them on the court.  He truly cared about them as young people.  They became part of his family.  His wife, Trish, and son, Anthony, embraced the girls as a part of their family as well.  Suffice it to say, Mike Cooper simply represents the very best of people.  

I am very proud of the kind of young woman my daughters have become.  I believe their experiences playing for Coach Mike Cooper positively impacted their development.  The lessons they learned participating on the Ottawa Lady Pirates basketball team will forever be a source of guidance.  I know that each of them truly enjoyed being a Lady Pirate and are thankful to have been coached by Mike Cooper.

Gordy Kirkman- Coach

I started coaching football with Mike Cooper in 1995 but only worked as an assistant coach in the Ottawa girls basketball program with him from 2009-2013. We connected immediately as colleagues and friends as we shared the same work ethic and values.  I coached in the boys program during the first part of his girls head coaching career but we always got together and shared info due to our similar coaching philosophy. This usually included sitting in his office or my basement drinking Dr. Pepper. I am proud to say that we are still very close friends to this day as I feel that as good of a coach that Coop was, he is even a better person.

 

I mentioned his work ethic and values as I think that is what made him such a successful coach.  He was never unprepared for a game.  He scouted everybody and shared everything with his players during practice.  He also communicated well with his players, encouraged them to think and contribute their thoughts about the team, and explained to them why he was doing every drill and every detail of the game plan.  All of his players were invested in the team concept because he made them feel that way.

 

We shared a lot of laughs over the years and really enjoyed our time together in great part because his program attracted high character athletes who want to be part of a good thing and he recruited like-minded coaches.  Before I joined his program, I was at the end of my teaching career and was coaching football and softball.  He approached me in need of a Sophomore coach which meant, due to my contract, I would have to give up softball.  I didn’t need much coaxing to do it as I knew I would be getting on board of a great program.  The morning after I agreed to join the staff, I found a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper on the front porch of my house.

 

The picture that I have included was taken twelve years ago at my last basketball awards dinner.  It includes another great friend and coach, Pete Armstrong, Coop and me.  In front of Mike is his son Anthony who is graduating from AugustanaCollege this spring after a four year basketball career.  In the picture he is about the same age as my grandson is now.  My daughter played for Coop and is now teaching her son some of the same basketball skills that she learned during her time in the program and that Mike taught his own son.  When I think about how the impact that a coach and person like Coop has transcended generations, it makes me very happy to have been a small part of it.

Jasmin Bailey 

I played for Coach Cooper during his 2010-2014 seasons.

I felt that Coach Cooper genuinely cared about his players and made us feel like

part of his own family. That sense of closeness brought players together and made

us a better, more unified team. What meant even more is that the relationship

didn’t end after highschool. He came to a few of my college basketball games and

would consistently check in during my collegiate career showing his support. Just

as he does now in my adult life too.

Coop's favorite saying was “play with a chip on your shoulder”

.

Coach Cooper made my high school basketball career one of my favorite memories I have. We had fun and we won games. He definitely impacted my life in a positive way.

My favorite memory is a small one but one that meant a lot to me. During the first

tournament of my senior year at Pontiac, I was struggling shooting. I hadn’t made

a three pointer all tournament and my confidence had run dry. During a time out,

he took the back of my hand and in marker drew a smiley face and told me to keep

shooting. This showed me he still believed in me and gave me the confidence I

needed. I went on to make 8 three’s the next day in our last game in that

tournament

Mark Cooper- Boys Basketball Coach at Ottawa

I was always impressed about how Mike helped create a family culture in the Lady Pirates basketball program.  The members of the program had and still do have great pride in the success of the program.  

He was not just the coach of the varsity team.  He was the leader of girls basketball in our community.  In large part due to his guidance, girls basketball is very important in our community and school.