Legendary Coach John Cooper, winner of 14 bowl games in 24 seasons

With 111 wins in 13 seasons, Coach John Cooper ranks second only to the legendary Woody Hayes in all-time wins at Ohio State. Under Cooper, Ohio State finished the regular season holding a spot in the AP Top 25 in 12 of his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes. After racking up numerous conference championships including five straight Missouri Valley Conference championships at Tulsa, one PAC-10 Conference Championship and Rose Bowl victory at Arizona State, he became the head coach of Ohio State where he remained through the 2000 season.

Cooper led his teams to 14 bowl games in 24 seasons and became a four-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach of the year. In addition to coaching 20 First Team All-Americans, seven NFF National Scholar-Athletes and one NFF Draddy Trophy recipient during his career, Cooper also drove Heisman winner Eddie George and two-time Lombardi winner Orlando Pace to the athletic spotlight.

During his time at Ohio State, Cooper participated in several charity organizations including the Arthur James Cancer Hospital, United Way and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He also served as the 1992 president of the American Football Coaches Association and is currently a consultant with the Cincinnati Bengals and resides in Columbus, Ohio.