Fort Hays State head football coach Chris Brown Friday the hiring of Cooper Harris as the team’s defensive coordinator. Harris has spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Washburn University, most recently as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2011. It will be a reunion for Brown and Harris, who spent nine years together on the coaching staff at Washburn.
Harris comes to Fort Hays State after spending ten seasons on the coaching staff at Washburn. He was the defensive coordinator and coached the safeties for the Ichabods in 2011 when the team won a school-record 10 games and their first playoff game in school history. The 2011 defense set a new school record for sacks in a game with nine against Truman and ranked 17th in the nation in turnover margin. During his tenure, he also spent time coaching the Ichabod linebackers and special teams.
While at Washburn, Harris coached seven of the top 10 tacklers in Ichabod history and two All-American linebackers in Grant Gould and current Fort Hays State assistant coach Zach Wakins. Harris also coached seven all-region picks and 22 all-MIAA selections at Washburn including Watkins, who was the 2006 MIAA Freshman of the Year and 2009 MIAA and Southwest Regional Defensive Player of the Year.
Prior to coaching at Washburn, Harris spent one season as a graduate assistant for the 2001 NCAA Division II Champion North Dakota Fighting Sioux coaching the tight ends. In 2000, Harris was the defensive coordinator at William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Alberta where he helped coach the team to a city championship.
Harris played in the Canadian Football League from 1995-2000 for the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was a linebacker, special team’s captain and special teams MVP in 1998 for Hamilton and was a member of two Grey Cup champion team.
Harris played collegiately at Pittsburg State from 1992-1994, earning second team all-conference honors in 1993 and first team all-conference honors in 1994. As a senior, Harris was a team captain and most valuable defensive player two times at linebacker. He recorded 241 tackles in 31 games for the Gorillas, which ranks eighth on the Pitt State all-time tackles list. He recorded 17 in the 1992 NCAA national championship game against Jacksonville State.
Before transferring to Pittsburg State, Harris was an honorable mention All-America and first team all-conference choice at Independence (Kan.) Community College. He was also the team captain and chosen as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Harris graduated from Pittsburg State in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. He has also earned his master’s degree in Sports Psychology from the University of North Dakota.
Cooper’s father Wayne is in the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame and the NCAA College Football Hall of Fame. He and his wife Summer have one daughter, Piper.
– FHSU Sports Information –