Victor Cooper has coached in some capacity at Atascadero High School since 1987 but in mid-December, made the decision to step away as head coach of the football program leaving behind a legacy of greatness as Mr. Greyhound.
For 3 1/2 decades Cooper has been a football coach at Atascadero but the decision to step down was one that was in the works even before the season started.
"The timing of my [youngest] son graduating, I got to see all four of my boys through the program and the fact that we had someone in waiting ready to go.”
With former standout player and assistant coach Dan Loney taking the reins of the program that Cooper made special, don’t be surprised if you see the 20-year head coach still around.
“I don't feel like it's ending. I feel like I'm still a Greyhound. I'm still a member of this community. I'm still a member of this school. I'm going to maybe do things to benefit this school and the Greyhound program in different ways now, but they're still going to see me. I'll be on the sidelines. I'll just be a little farther down the field.”
And the Cooper family will always be around to catch a game with the name synonymous with Atascadero athletics.
“It's been a family affair for sure. The Coopers, we bleed orange.”
There’s a laundry list of accolades spanning his long coaching career with the 2022 CIF Section and state championships being near the top of that list.
Other ones include:
- League Champions and Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023
- CIF Central Section Coach of the Year 2022
- As an assistant:
- League champions 1995, 1996, 1997
CIF Champions 1994, 1995, 1996
“I'm not the most talented guy out there. I'm not the smartest guy. But I knew I could outwork people and if I put in the time and I made the kids put in the time, that we could be successful.”
To be Mr. Greyhound it takes a certain level of commitment.
“I was raised to be all in when we committed to something. So when I committed to Atascadero football, even back then, I understood the wear and tear it can take on you.”
Athletic Director Sam Derose joined the ranks of the football program in 1987; the same year that Cooper got his first coaching job. The two have been lifelong friends since and firsthand, Derose has seen the work his friend and colleague put into each team and each season.
“I don't want to call it a career," Derose said. "It was a life well lived because it's always been part of what he's done.”
Despite the rigors of being a head coach for so long, Cooper was never tired of football and the relationships that came along with it.
“He's impacted so many different people...he wasn't afraid to step up or take on the challenges,” Derose explained.
“In the end, it's the coaches and the kids that that make you want to keep coming back. The experiences I had with every group of kids for the last 20 plus years and every single coach I've had, made it kind of special,”
Now, there’s no need to be in the weight room at 7 a.m. or attend a booster meeting, all that’s left for Cooper is to enjoy time with his family and continue to admire Atascadero athletics from afar knowing he’s leaving the program in a good place and in good hands.
Cooper also mentioned that as of right now, there's a 99-percent chance that Cooper returns to coaching after next fall.
