April 22, 2014

VERMILLION, S.D. - Former South Dakota football coach and athletic director Bernard "Beanie" Cooper passed away on Sunday in Sioux City at the age of 86.

Cooper coached Coyote football from 1975-1978, leading the Coyotes to the 1978 North Central Conference title. He was 18-24 in his four years at the helm of the football program. Cooper took the head coaching spot at USD after the departure of Joe Salem in 1974.

Cooper also became athletic director for USD during the summer of 1976, holding that position until 1981. He oversaw the Coyotes' move into the DakotaDome and helped advance women's athletics at USD, including overseeing the creation of the softball program in 1978.

"We lost a great Coyote this weekend in Beanie Cooper," said USD athletic director David Herbster. "Beanie was part of a transformational time at USD and his legacy will live on here in the players he coached and the lives he touched."

Cooper graduated from Morningside College with a degree in accounting in 1953. He began coaching football in 1958, coming to USD after successful stops at Algona Bishop Garrigan (1958-68) and Sioux City Heelan (1969-74) in Iowa. He also served as athletic director for Heelan during his time there, and finished with a high school football record of 92-38-2.

After leaving USD, Cooper became athletic director at Indiana State in 1981 and was chairman for the NCAA Division I-AA football committee for much of the 1980s. He retired from athletics in 1990.

Cooper is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruby, as well as seven children, 24 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Sioux City.