Ichabods sign Cooper as assistant coach

July 8, 2002

Ichabod head football coach Craig Schurig has announced the addition of Cooper Harris to the Washburn coaching staff.

“Cooper has had great experiences being part of championship programs at the professional and collegiate levels,” Schurig said. “He will bring a competitive intensity to our team and to our defense.”

Harris joins the Ichabods after one season as graduate assistant for 2001 NCAA Division II Champion North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He will coach the Ichabod linebacking corps.

“I am very excited to be joining Washburn Football,” Harris said. ”I look forward to helping Coach Schurig and his staff create a winning attitude both on and off the football field.”

In 2000, Harris served as defensive coordinator at William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Alberta. He helped coach the team to a city championship.

Harris played in the Canadian Football League from 1995-2000 for Toronto and Hamilton. He was a linebacker, special teams captain and special teams MVP in 1998 for Hamilton and was a member of Grey Cup champion teams in Hamilton (1999) and Toronto (1996).

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Harris graduated from Pittsburg State in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and is working on his Master’s in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sports psychology at North Dakota.

Harris played for the Gorillas 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 at inside linebacker.

At Pitt State, Harris recorded 241 tackles in 31 games, which ranks eighth on the Gorillas’ all-time tackles chart. He recorded 17 in the 1992 NCAA 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 Junior College. He was also the team captain and chosen as the team’s Most Valuable Player.

Cooper’s father Wayne is in the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame.