2023 December Warrior web

Marty Cooper C hampionship B asketball C oach J oins A thletic H all of F ame

Marty Cooper played point guard on a very successful high school basketball team in Ohio. Although he wouldn’t get an op portunity to play college ball, his work ethic and passion for the game would lead him to become one of the most successful coaches in the Mississippi community college league and only one of two to win a men’s basket ball state championship at East Central Com munity College in Decatur. In recognition of his outstanding success, he was inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame. When notified of his selection, Cooper expressed his excitement and gratitude.

“We inherited an excellent group of kids. The players on that first team had a lot of respect for Gulf Coast and the first time we played them we won 75-52 and from that point on the players and coaches believed in each other. We won the South Division, South Division Tournament, and finished State Runners-Up. We went 27-5 and had to jell so quickly. That team had the talent to make it to the National Tournament and win some games.” The following year would consist of a young team, also full of excellent players, in cluding future NBA draft pick Marcus Mann. “We all know how great Marcus was as a player. Marcus is an even better person. He also had good teammates. We

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“This is special!” he said. “This is where Jennifer and I started our lives together 32 years ago. It was my first head

S o many great memories at ECCC from the players we coached , to the people we met , and the positive impact ECCC had on our lives .

coaching job. It is where Jennifer started helping me as an assistant coach. So many great memories at ECCC from the players we coached, to the people we met, and the positive impact ECCC had on our lives.” Cooper’s journey to the college coaching ranks took a un conventional route compared to many of his colleagues. He admitted, “I wasn’t good enough to play college basketball,” and although he had an opportunity play baseball at a small NAIA school, he really didn’t have the heart for baseball like he did basketball. So, he quit school and went to work. He tried various jobs, from working on an assembly line at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Plant to being a janitor at the phone company and serving as assistant editor for the local newspaper. He said wasn’t good at any of those jobs. He would discover his true calling through his volun teer work as a coach for a basketball youth league team of fourth through sixth graders. His high school counselor, Tom Perry, who had a son on Cooper’s team encouraged him to return to school and earn his degree. Cooper took his advice and received his degree from Rio Grande College in Ohio at the age of 28. Cooper initially thought he would be a high school coach until he went in for his college exit interview and was encouraged to obtain a master’s degree to be able to coach at the college level. He took a job as a graduate assistant teacher in the Physical Education Department at Miami (Ohio) University in Oxford, Ohio, where he would hone his skills and lay the foundation for his career. Cooper served three years as an assistant at Miami, a Division I school, before taking the reins of the Warrior basketball program in fall of 1991. Cooper would see success early in his career with a tal ented group of players he described as impressive. “

had talent, but we had great people. We had some tough kids as well. We played in the state championship game again that year. We were down 19-2 to start the game at Gulf Coast. I remember calling time out and looking into the eyes of our players and saying, ‘Hey, they are pretty good (Gulf Coast).’ I told them Gulf Coast would give us an opportunity to get back in the game. They did and Stacey Miller hit a shot to put the game in overtime and his high school teammate, Anthony Coleman, hit the game winner.” Cooper holds a 116-81 overall record at ECCC that in cludes two South Division Championships, two South State Tournament Championships, and the 1993 State Champi onship, which was the first and only since 1953. His teams played in three straight state championship games from 1992 to 1994. He was named 1992 Clarion Ledger Coach of the Year and 1993 MACJC Coach of the Year. He said, “What was so wonderful about the state cham pionship is the support we had from the faculty, staff, and community. Dr. (Eddie) Smith loaded a bus and got everyone down to Perk. I think we had as many fans as Gulf Coast. It was a close group of young men, and they did everything we asked of them. It is always great to hear from one of them and I know winning that state title is still very precious to them.” His ECCC career was filled with outstanding games, exceptional players, and big wins, but the true measure of success is the fact that of all his players at East Central graduated and most went on to senior college and are still very productive citizens today. Terry Underwood who is a former head football coach –COOPER continued on page 17

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