Frost Heave fans will remember David Cooper for his sharp-shooting from the perimeter, but now he'll be on the Mill Rats' sideline as the team announced today that Cooper will be the team's next head coach.
Here's the release from the NBL of Canada franchise:
David Cooper Named Mill Rats Head Coach
(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats held a press conference today to announce that they have hired David Cooper as Head Coach for the 2012-2013 NBL Canada season.
Cooper has been an integral part to the Mill Rats organization both on and off the court for the past five years. First as a player for three years, then as an assistant coach and VP of Marketing.
His new role as Head Coach this year is an exciting turn, one that Cooper says will help him develop and train players at the next level. He has been involved with coaching and development for over 10 years now.
Mill Rats General Manager Ian McCarthy states, "We are excited to have David Cooper take on this role for the team. He has been a role model for many and has earned the respect of the fans, organization and players. When the position opened up, it was a no brainer for us."
In 2002, while in college, he founded NetTime Sports an international Sports firm that specialized in the development and training of hundreds athletes throughout the United States and Canada.
Cooper graduated from James Madison University in 2006 after playing Division 1 NCAA basketball. He holds a Major in Kinesiology/ Sports Management and Business.
Cooper also played in the Northeast-10 Conference , was part of the USV1 National Team, was name to the Strength and Conditioning All American team and was a Mill Rats player for three years.
During the 2009-2010 season, Cooper was named Head Coach for Hesser College and lead the team to the NCAA Final 4 Conference in their first year. Later that year, in 2010, Cooper became a co-founder of Manchester, New Hampshire's, Bishop Elite AAU Basketball. David Cooper also founded David Cooper Basketball and partnered with Matt Bonner from the NBA San Antonio Spurs to run clinics and workouts throughout New Hampshire to promote Matt Bonner Basketball.
Since relocating to Saint John in 2010, Coop has also founded the Mill Rats Basketball Academy, dedicated to the training and development of players at an elite level. During his ten year tenor, Cooper has coached over 30 AAU teams from ages 10-17 on a local, national and international competitive level. He has personally developed over 100 collegiate and professional players.
The Saint John Mill Rats organization would like to thank former Head Coach Jaren Jackson, who earned the NBA Championship title in 1999 while playing for the NBA San Antonio Spurs. Jackson coached the team for the past two years but has decided to stay stateside this year as his wife accepted a legal job with the NCAA in Indianapolis. While helping his family during the transition, he will be missed.
"We are appreciative of the two years that Coach Jackson gave to our organization and we all learned a lot from his NBA pedigree and experience," stated Ian McCarthy, Mill Rats President and General Manager. "However we are really excited about the new direction our team is taking. We are confident that we will be a very, very competitive team this season."
The Saint John Mill Rats organization would also like to remind last year's season ticket holders that they have two weeks left to renew their seats before they become open to the public. Last day to renew is Friday, August 31.
Season tickets are first come, first serve. Bowl tickets are good for the best available seats anywhere in the bowl. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station box office and at the Mill Rats Fan Zone located on the second floor in the Brunswick Square Shopping Centre.
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