Report: Wisconsin to hire Rhode Island DC Jack Cooper as senior defensive analyst

Wisconsin football just nabbed a terrific addition to their defensive coaching staff. According to college football insider Bruce Feldman, the Badgers are hiring Rhode Island defensive coordinator Jack Cooper as an analyst on that side of the ball for Luke Fickell’s new staff.

Here was that report:

“SOURCE: Wisconsin is set to add Rhode Island DC Jack Cooper as a senior defensive analyst. Cooper, a former Nebraska staffer, did a terrific job with the URI defense and helped the Rams in 2021 to the best season in 20 years.”

On3’s Matt Zenitz also confirmed the hiring, writing in his report:

“Wisconsin is hiring Rhode Island defensive coordinator Jack Cooper as a senior defensive analyst, a source tells @on3sports. Copper worked at Nebraska and UCF before Rhode Island. Helped Rhode Island rank in the top-25 in the FCS in several categories last season.”

Cooper is a young and rising coaching star on the defensive side of the ball and worked wonders with the URI defense in just three years, resulting in a historic season for the program. Now, he’ll be thrown in the mix at Wisconsin in a return to the Big Ten after he first served as a Nebraska quality control coach on defense in 2018 and 2019.

More background on Jack Cooper

Thanks to the Rhode Island Athletics website:

“Cooper spent each of the last four years working on Scott Frost’s staff. Before joining Frost in Nebraska, Cooper was a defensive graduate assistant at UCF in 2016-17. In his two seasons at UCF, the Knights lowered their scoring defense average by nearly two touchdowns per game while ranking third nationally in takeaways over the 2016 and 2017 seasons combined.

“In 2021, Cooper led a resurgent defensive effort for Rhode Island. The Rams ranked in the Top 50 in points allowed per game (25.36/49th); yards allowed per play (5.17/35th), yards allowed per pass attempt (6.58/29th); yards allowed per pass completion (11.64/40th); defensive pass efficiency (119.39/28th); and sacks per game (2.45/33rd). 

“Cooper’s work helped Rhode Island go 7-4 this season, the program’s most wins since the 2001 season 20 years ago. Redshirt junior cornerback Jordan Jones was an Associated Press All-American Second-Team selection. Jones, graduate student safety Coby Tippett and redshirt senior outside linebacker L.B. Mack III all earned CAA Football All-Conference honors this season for the Rams. Following the season, Cooper was among just five FCS assistant coaches selection to participate in the prestigious AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.”