Lakers great Michael Cooper takes over as Cal State LA head coach
michael-cooper-named-cal-state-la-head-coach
Hall of Famer Michael Cooper is returning to coaching, this time at the collegiate level. The longtime Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward, 70, has been appointed head coach of the men’s basketball program at California State University, Los Angeles, according to City News Service reports carried by the Los Angeles Daily News.
“I’ve always said it takes five Ds to win a championship: determination, dedication, desire, discipline and decision-making,” Cooper said in a statement. “I’ve incorporated those principles into my coaching philosophy, and they will be pillars of what we do here at Cal State LA.”
Cooper gained national recognition during the Showtime era, helping the Lakers capture five NBA championships and earning the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 1987. Over 873 NBA games, he averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds while establishing himself as one of the league’s top perimeter stoppers.
His coaching résumé is equally extensive. Cooper served as a Lakers assistant from 1994 to 1996 before moving to the WNBA, where he won two titles and received the league’s Coach of the Year honor in 2000. He later spent part of the 2004-05 NBA season as interim head coach of the Denver Nuggets, compiling a 4-10 record over 14 games.
Cal State LA will now look to Cooper’s championship pedigree as it strives to elevate its program.
Source: Hoops Wire
