FSU names former Nebraska assistant Evan Cooper new safeties coach

The Florida State football team has added another piece to its 2025 coaching staff, as the Seminoles have hired South Florida native and former Nebraska assistant coach Evan Cooper as safeties coach.

He is the third former Cornhuskers assistant to join the Seminoles’ defense this week. Defensive coordinator Tony White was announced on Thursday, and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton officially joined the staff on Friday.

Here is the official release from Florida State Sports Information:

Florida State has hired NFL and college coaching veteran Evan Cooper as the football program’s safeties coach, FSU head coach Mike Norvell announced Saturday.

Cooper, a Miami native who attended American Heritage, brings more than a decade of coaching experience and reunites with FSU defensive coordinator Tony White, who he was with at Nebraska in 2023, and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton, his college teammate and fellow coach with the Carolina Panthers and at Nebraska.

“I’m happy to have Evan Cooper joining our Nole Family,” Norvell said. “It’s great to have another Dade County native back working in his home state. Our safeties will benefit from his experience and expertise, and he will be a tremendous collaborator with Tony White, Patrick Surtain, and the rest of our defensive staff to reestablish the dominant defense Florida State is known for. I’m incredibly excited for the future here at Florida State.”

The 2023 Nebraska defense, with Cooper serving as the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, produced four All-Big Ten defensive backs. The quartet was led by Tommi Hill, whose 13 passes defended were the most in the conference. Hill also ranked third in the Big Ten with nine pass breakups while posting the conference’s fifth-highest individual interceptions total.

The Huskers held opponents to only 6.1 yards per pass attempt, ninth-lowest in the country, and had the nation’s 15th-best passing efficiency defense. Nebraska kept seven of 12 opponents to less than 200 passing yards, including two under 100 yards. The Huskers allowed only 92.9 rushing yards per game, the No. 8 rushing defense in the country and the best at Nebraska this century, while also ranking 11th nationally in total defense and 13th in scoring defense. Hill led the team with 85 tackles and fellow defensive back Omar Brown tied for second among Huskers with 51 tackles.

“I’m excited to join the Florida State football program,” Cooper said. “FSU has an elite history among the best programs in college football, and I’m looking forward to working with Coach Norvell and the rest of the staff. I can’t wait to get started with our players and contribute to upholding the DBU legacy.”

Cooper was the Carolina Panthers’ cornerbacks coach and director of player evaluation from 2020-22. In 2021, Carolina had the NFL’s No. 2 total defense, allowing 305.9 yards per game. Cooper’s cornerbacks contributed to the league’s No. 4 pass defense, holding opponents to only 192.1 passing yards per game, and the fifth-lowest completions allowed total in the NFL.

Cooper spent three seasons at Baylor and helped lead a major transformation in the program that resulted in a trip to the Sugar Bowl in his last year in Waco. He spent the 2017 season as the Bears’ director of player personnel before joining the on-field staff working with the secondary and defensive line in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted to cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator and helped the Bears post an 11-3 record with an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game and Sugar Bowl. That year, Baylor’s 17 interceptions ranked fifth in the country and contributed to a group that ranked 18th nationally in pass efficiency defense and 19th in scoring defense.

After a brief stint as the assistant director of player personnel at Miami early in 2015, Cooper was hired as Temple’s director of player personnel. He served in that role in 2015 and 2016, helping the Owls reach 10 wins both years and qualify for bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. The 2016 team also won the AAC, Temple’s first conference title in 48 years, by defeating No. 19 Navy in the conference championship game.

Cooper began his coaching career as the defensive backs coach for Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He then accepted a graduate assistant position at Temple in 2013 and moved to the role of director of external operations for the Owls in 2014.

Cooper was a four-year letterman at defensive back for Temple and earned his bachelor’s degree in sport and recreational management from Temple in 2009. He and his wife, Andisha, have one son, Evan III, and one daughter, Madison.

Evan Cooper Coaching History

2025-              Florida State Safeties Coach

2023               Nebraska Defensive Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary Coach

2020-22          Carolina Panthers Cornerbacks Coach/Director of Player Evaluation

2019               Baylor Cornerbacks Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

2018               Baylor Secondary/Defensive Line Coach

2017               Baylor Director of Player Personnel

2015-16          Temple Director of Player Personnel

2014               Temple Director of External Operations

2013               Temple Graduate Assistant

2011-12          Westminster Academy (Fla.) Defensive Backs Coach

Join Warchant for Market-Leading Florida State Football coverage!

Warchant.com provides just what passionate FSU fans expect: Market-leading coverage of Seminole athletics and recruiting.

Join the largest Florida State fan community and receive all the benefits that come with it:

• Elite team and recruiting coverage of the program you love.
• Exclusive video and board Q&A’s with Warchant staff.
• Interaction with the most passionate Seminole fans across multiple board forums.
• 10% off all Garnet & Gold purchases while holding an active membership. Member exclusive discounts once a month at even higher savings.
• Access to Warchant member benefits and giveaways at site events.
• So much more!

SIGN UP: Join Warchant’s FSU Community for $1 today

Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State football fans on the Tribal Council.