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Carlton Cooper is in his fourth year as the athletic director at Texas A&M University-Commerce after spending the previous nine years working for the athletic department at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He comes with an extensive athletic background as a former student-athlete and as a supervisor of internal and external affairs within intercollegiate athletics. Under Cooper's leadership at A&M-Commerce, the athletic department has already made significant strides in becoming a national leader in athletics. The athletic department has seen a rise in graduation rates among its student-athletes and initiated an athletic director's breakfast for student-athletes who earn a 3.0 or higher grade-point average during the year. He has been a driving force behind a significant upgrade to all the athletic facilities including the addition of the second largest scoreboard and video board in NCAA Division II athletics, the installation of bleachers to the east side of Memorial Stadium, air conditioning to the A&M-Commerce Field House, lights to the A&M-Commerce Soccer Field, a brand new football locker room, renovations to the coaches and athletic administration offices as well as the locker rooms and the athletic training and rehabilitation room, added new basketball goals with three-dimensional clocks and a new court. He has also implemented a compliance education program and increased community engagement and community awareness. Cooper has been an active speaker in the community speaking at the Dixie Softball Boys and Girls Convention, the all sports banquets at Mountain View College and Dallas Lincoln High School and the Paris ISD Black History Month. Under Cooper's administration, the university has established partnerships with Domino's Pizza, Nike, Pepsi and Pizza Hut. The university has proposed and passed its first athletic fee; plus, the annual giving, attendance, budget and sponsorships have all doubled. Also under his administration, the athletic department has also balanced its budget for three-straight years. Cooper currently serves on the Division II Athletic Director's Association Executive Board of Directors for a four-year term. He and the athletic department have also brought in instructional/motivational speakers to talk with the student-athletes, started a kickoff luncheon for fall and spring sports, seen an increase in tailgating at home games and renewed the Blue-Gold football scrimmage at the end of spring football practice. Cooper has started annual events including FCA GameDay and the John McLendon Foundation basketball game. He has brought back such traditional events as the Dr. Jesse J. Hawthorne Relays and the Margo Harbison cross country meet. Cooper served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations at SMU from 2000 to 2007, where he was responsible for the coordination of day-to-day internal operations of the athletic department while assisting the director of athletics in supervising and providing leadership for department initiatives. He was involved in the development of long-range and annual operating plans. From 1998 to 2000, Cooper served as the SMU's Community Relations Director. He holds memberships to a number of organizations and has served as a board member for the Dallas All-Sports Association, SMU Advisory Board for the new student recreation center, Longhorn Hall of Honor, SMU Ex-Student Association, and the University of Texas Ex-Student Association. In the past, he has been active on the NCAA Championship Cabinet and is also involved in the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Dallas Asian and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, NACDA and the University of Texas Longhorn Foundation. The Paris, Texas native was added to the Wall of Fame at the Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley in the spring of 2007. Cooper played college basketball at the University of Texas from 1982 to 1985 and was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. He went on to serve as a player/coach in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Philippines before returning to Paris in 1994 to become the Head Boys Basketball Coach and with Assistant Principal duties. Cooper earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Texas in 1985. A two-time member of the Dean's List, he received the Texas Teacher Certificate in 1985 as well. Cooper collected a graduate certificate in mediation/arbitration from SMU in 2000 and earned a Master's of Liberal Arts degree from SMU in December 2001. Cooper was a four-year letterwinner of the men's basketball team at Texas, where he also was an assistant coach when they won a regular season conference title in 1986. He is the son of Clarence and Barbara Cooper of Paris, Texas is married to Niesje and they have four children, Brandon, Danielle, Chanel, Ava and dog, Holiday. |
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