Malcolm Hartzog describes Evan Cooper as a coach

As Nebraska players get deeper and deeper into spring practice, they’re becoming more and more familiar with their respective position coaches. Defensive back Malcolm Hartzog has now had a chance to get to know secondary coach Evan Cooper.

Cooper is an assistant coach with long-time ties to head coach Matt Rhule, so he’s a pretty good reflection of what Rhule wants to see happen.

“He’s a good coach,” Hartzog said. “He pushes us every day, all the DBs. Like he gives us the drive to go hard out there, give it all we got every day at practice.”

Cooper will have some work to do in the Nebraska secondary.

Though the unit was far from the only problem on the team a year ago as former coach Scott Frost was fired, it finished the year ranked 68th nationally in passing defense, giving up 225.3 yards per game through the air.

But Cooper has a decent track record as a secondary coach. In his final season at Baylor, Cooper’s unit finished fifth nationally in interceptions and ranked 18th in passing efficiency defense.

More info on Evan Cooper

Evan Cooper began his coaching career in 2011 after playing at Temple from 2005-08. He played defensive back at Temple while current Nebraska coach Matt Rhule was on staff with the Owls.

In 2011, Cooper took a job coaching defensive backs for Westminster Academy in Florida. He spent two seasons there, also serving as a student advisor.

After two years in Florida, Cooper returned to Temple, serving as a graduate assistant in 2013 and then as a director of external operations in 2014.

Cooper then briefly served as Miami‘s assistant director of player personnel for six months in 2015 before returning to Temple again.

In his second coaching stint at Temple, Cooper served as the director of player personnel in 2015 and 2016, this time with Rhule acting as the program’s head coach. When Rhule moved to take the Baylor head coaching position, Cooper followed.

Cooper spent three years with Baylor, first as director of player personnel in 2017, then as an on-field assistant working with the secondary and defensive line in 2018. By 2019, Cooper was elevated to Baylor’s cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.

Once again, when Rhule departed Baylor, Cooper followed, this time to the Carolina Panthers. Cooper spent three seasons as the Panthers cornerbacks coach and director of player evaluation before rejoining Rhule when he was hired by Nebraska.