Far and away the most versatile football player in UNLV history and one of the most versatile in college football history, Hunkie Cooper went on to become arguably the greatest player in Arena Football history before entering the coaching field.
He returned to campus in 2023 to fill a newly created position directing Rebel Football's player development and now holds the title of Assistant AD for Football Player Development & Community Engagement.
For his work with student-athletes on and off the field, he was nationally recognized by Athlon Sports in 2026 as one of the Top 25 player development leaders, coming in at No. 11 on the list "recognizing leaders who invest in the total growth of student-athletes." He was one of only two on the list from a Group of Six program.
Cooper's storied career in the desert began following a move to Las Vegas after leading Navarro (TX) to a junior college national championship as a quarterback. He would go on to play -- and start at least once -- at six different positions as a Rebel – RB, WR, QB, KR, PR & DB. A three-time First Team All-Big West Conference honoree, he was one of only three Rebels in history to earn First Team All-League in two different positions (QB/P Randall Cunningham and PR/KR Jacob De Jesus). Coop's 1,705 all-purpose yards in 1990 still rank third in school history, as does his 11.6-yard career punt return average.
A legendary figure in Phoenix after turning in a longtime career for the Arizona Rattlers, he was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2011 after leading the team to a pair of league championships (1994 and 1997) and was picked as the MVP of the 1997 AFL Championship game. When he retired in 2005, he was the AFL's all-time leader in nearly all return categories. In 2001, Cooper was selected to the first team All-15th Anniversary team as both a receiver and linebacker and finished his career with nearly 8,559 receiving yards to go along with 196 tackles and 15 interceptions, including seven for touchdowns. He was twice named the AFL Ironman of the Year.Â
Cooper worked as UNLV's radio analyst in 1998-99 and eventually served a memorable stint as head coach of Canyon Springs High School in Las Vegas for six seasons. He then moved to the collegiate level and went on to coach eight seasons at San DIego State before returning to his adopted hometown.
A 2019 inductee into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, he was enshrined into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
