Staff Directory

Brandon Cooper

Title:
Cornerbacks
Email:
Phone:
3832

The Cooper File

Personal Information
Hometown	Cincinnati, Ohio
Education	UT Martin, 2007 (Bachelor's)
Playing Career	UT Martin, 2003-06
Wife	Natasha
Children	Trey, Braedyn, Neveah Cooper

Coaching History
2025-26	Troy - Cornerbacks
2022-24	Samford - Linebackers
2019-21	Charlotte - Co-Defensive coordinator / Safeties
2018	Austin Peay - Defensive Coordinator
2016-17	Austin Peay - Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs
2015	Murray State - Linebackers / Special Teams
2013-14	Chattanooga - Cornerbacks / Nickels
2011-12	Jacksonville State - Cornerbacks
2008-10	UT-Martin - Cornerbacks

Brandon Cooper begins his second season at Troy coaching the cornerbacks in 2026; he joined the Troy staff following three seasons at Samford.

In his first season, Cooper was tasked with replacing both starting cornerbacks and mentored a pair of transfers – one from the FCS ranks and the other from NCAA Division II – into two of the top corners in the Sun Belt.

Jaquez White earned All-Sun Belt second team honors, while Kaleno Levine played 876 snaps, the third-most by a cornerback in the Sun Belt and held opponents to a 61.2 percent completion percentage (30-of-49), the 11th best in the SBC by a corner with 500 or more snaps. White ranked seventh in the country with 14 passes defended and 15th with 11 pass break ups.

Troy ranked third nationally with five defensive touchdowns, 26th in red zone defense (77.8 percent), 22nd in sacks (2.64) and 33rd in tackles for loss (6.2) as the Trojans won the Sun Belt West Division title and played in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.

Cooper has coordinator responsibility on his resume, serving as the defensive coordinator at Samford and Austin Peay, in addition to roles as co-defensive coordinator for three seasons at Charlotte and two seasons at Austin Peay.

At Samford, Cooper was promoted to defensive coordinator in January of 2025 season, following three seasons coaching the Bulldogs’ linebackers.

The Bulldogs ranked fourth nationally in sacks, 10^th in tackles for loss, ninth in first downs allowed and 11^th in rushing defense during Cooper’s final season in Birmingham.

In 2023 and 2024, linebacker Noah Martin landed All-American honors. Martin was also named first team All-SoCon both seasons and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in all of FCS football; he was the first Bulldog since 2019 to record triple-digit tackles.

In 2022, his first season at Samford, Cooper helped lead a much-improved defense that helped the Bulldogs to their best season in over 30 years, posting a record of 11-2 overall and 8-0 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs won the program’s first outright SoCon title and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time since 1991. One of the leaders of the defense was linebacker Nathan East, who was named second team All-SoCon.

Cooper served as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Charlotte from 2019-21. In Cooper’s first year with the 49ers, he helped Charlotte to school records for wins (7), C-USA wins (5) and winning streak (5 games) while the 49ers earned a trip to their first bowl game, the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

Charlotte ranked second in C-USA and 14th in the FBS, allowing just 189.0 passing yards per game, while Nafees Lyon, who was ranked as the nation’s top defensive back against post routes by Pro Football Focus, earned All-Conference USA honors. Fellow defensive back Lance McMillan was a C-USA All-Freshman Team selection and Jon Alexander earned All-CUSA honors.

Before his stop in the Queen City, Cooper spent three seasons on staff at Austin Peay. Originally brought on as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2016, Cooper was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2018 season. Austin Peay posted one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college football history as the Govs went from a 1-45 team over four seasons to a 13-10 mark over their final two seasons that included a 13-6 record vs. FCS opponents. Additionally, a pair of safeties from the Govs went on to earn All-OVC honors.

Cooper joined Austin Peay after a year at Murray State following a two-year stint at Chattanooga. In those two years, the Mocs went 18-8 with a 13-2 mark in the Southern Conference, where Tavon Lawson was named to the league’s all-freshman team. In 2013, the Mocs led the Southern Conference in total defense, passing defense and scoring defense. In 2014, on its way to an unbeaten 7-0 league mark, the Mocs ranked in the FCS Top 15 in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense.

Before Chattanooga, Cooper was a cornerbacks coach at Jacksonville State, where he helped the Gamecocks to the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference title and Jermaine Hough to all-freshman honors.

A four-year letterwinner at UT-Martin, Cooper got his coaching start at his alma mater. He played from 2003-06 and coached from 2008-10. As a player, he led the Skyhawks to their first OVC Championship as a senior in 2006. As a coach, Cooper helped the Skyhawks lead the OVC in total defense, passing defense and third-down defense in 2010.

Cooper graduated from UT-Martin in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance. He married his wife, Natasha, in 2015, and the couple has three children: Trey, Braedyn and Neveah Cooper.