Penn State head baseball coach Rob Cooper was singled out for one of the highest honors in baseball Tuesday, the Rod Dedeaux USA Baseball Coach of the Year. Cooper became the 16th individual to receive the award.
“I am extremely humbled and honored to be named USA Baseball Coach of the Year,” said Cooper. “To receive an award named after a coaching legend, such as Rod Dedeaux is a once in a lifetime honor. I am so thankful to USA Baseball, Brant Ust, and Dr. Joyner for the opportunity to represent our country.”
The USA Baseball Coach of the Year award is given to the National Team manager or coach who expects excellence out of his players both on and off the field. The award has been handed out annually since it first began in 1996.
Beyond his duties at Penn State, Cooper managed the 18U National Team to an 8-1 record in World Cup play, including seven consecutive victories to finish out the gold-medal run.
“Coach Cooper and the 18U National Team continued the high-level of success that program has come to expect the last couple of years,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director/CEO. “We had a remarkable summer across all our amateur programs and have a well-deserving group of winners being honored.”
As well as Cooper’s personal award, the 18U National Team was recognized as USA Baseball’s Team of the Year.
“I want to thank the twenty young men and my coaching staff who made this all happen. It was a truly special group of young men … a Band of Brothers!”
Cooper was named Penn State’s head baseball coach on August 19, 2013, becoming the 14th coach in the 125-year history of the Nittany Lion baseball program. Cooper came to Happy Valley after a successful nine year stint as the head coach at Wright State.
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