John Cooper was hired as an assistant coach for the UNLV men's basketball program prior to the 2022-23 season.
In his first season with the Runnin' Rebels, Cooper helped lead the team to 19 wins, including two victories over ranked opponents, the most in a season for UNLV since 2015-16. The team raced out to a 10-0 start, its best in 34 years, and posted an 11-1 non-conference record, the program’s best in 32 years. After the 10-0 start, the Runnin' Rebels were receiving votes in both polls.
During the 2023-24 season, Cooper continued to contribute to the team's success as UNLV reached the postseason for the first time in 11 years. The Rebels secured their first postseason win in 16 years and went on to win two postseason games for the first time in 17 years. They hosted an NIT game for the first time in 19 years and finished the season with 21 wins, their most since 2012-13. The team concluded the season by winning 12 of their final 16 games, highlighted by standout freshman Dedan Thomas Jr., who was named the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year. Thomas Jr. led the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and assists (5.1 apg), setting a conference freshman record with 174 assists and leading the nation in assists among freshmen.
UNLV also made significant strides against top competition, defeating No. 8 Creighton for their first top-10 win in four years and first top-10 non-conference win in nine years. In total, they secured four wins over ranked teams, the most in a single season since 2012-13. UNLV's success on the road included eight true road wins, the highest total since the 2010-11 season. They also recorded five NCAA NET Quad 1 victories, tying for the fourth-most in the Mountain West, and were one of just 33 teams in the nation to achieve five Quad 1 wins. Their 12-6 MW record earned them a fourth-place finish, the team's best in four years, and they achieved four MW sweeps during the season.
The Runnin' Rebels finished February 2024 with a 6-1 record, marking their best performance in that month since 1996-97. During a key 11-game stretch in MW play, the team went 10-1, their best stretch in league play in 32 years, dating back to 1991-92 when they went undefeated in the Big West.
Cooper came to Las Vegas with nearly three decades of coaching experience, having previously spent two seasons at SMU, where he helped the Mustangs compile a 35-15 record, with standout performances at home (23-3) and in AAC games (20-8). SMU made back-to-back NIT appearances, and three players were named All-AAC, including AAC Player of the Year Kendric Davis.
Before SMU, Cooper was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State for three seasons, contributing to a 21-win campaign in 2017-18, highlighted by six victories over ranked teams, which tied for the national lead. He also spent five seasons as the head coach at Miami (Ohio), where his defense-first philosophy saw the RedHawks rank among the nation's top 50 in steals in four of his five seasons. Cooper's Miami teams produced five All-MAC selections, including 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year Michael Weathers.
Cooper's head coaching career also includes a three-season stint at Tennessee State, where he revitalized the program, leading the Tigers to a 20-13 record in 2011-12, the school’s first 20-win season in 32 years. His team earned national recognition with a win over No. 7 Murray State, and they narrowly missed a berth in the 2012 NCAA Tournament after a close loss in the OVC Championship.
Cooper's previous coaching stops include assistant roles at Auburn, Oregon, and South Carolina. At Auburn, he helped the Tigers to a 24-12 record in 2008-09, while at South Carolina, he was part of a staff that led the Gamecocks to an SEC title and a No. 6 national ranking in 1996-97.
Cooper played collegiately at Wichita State, where he was a two-time team captain, leading the Shockers in scoring and rebounding in his junior and senior seasons. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Wichita State in 1991 and went on to play professional basketball in the CBA and the Netherlands.
Cooper is married to the former Melissa Mathis, and they have two children: daughter Kennedy and son Kameron.
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