Archie Cooley, an HBCU teaching legend and the person who helped introduce the world to Jerry Rice has reportedly handed away. Rod Walker of The Occasions-Picayune stories that the enduring head coach at Mississippi Valley State — amongst different locations — has died.
Cooley’s teaching profession spanned a number of many years, throughout which he made important contributions to the event of younger athletes and the evolution of teaching methods. He gained widespread recognition for his distinctive method to the sport, mixing conventional strategies with revolutionary ways that challenged the established order.
Born in 1940 in Sumrall, Mississippi, Archie Cooley performed at Jackson State within the Fifties and 60s for legendary head coach John Merritt. He then turned to teaching, spending seven years as a highschool coach earlier than working for 2 seasons beneath Marino Casem at Alcorn State. He would head to Nashville to work for his faculty coach at Tennessee State earlier than resurfacing at Mississippi Valley State.
Archie Cooley turns Mississippi Valley into HBCU power
Cooley arrived at Mississippi Valley State with a program that wanted quite a lot of work. Future NFL participant and HBCU coach Sam Washington was one in all his star gamers early in his tenure earlier than he recruited two younger males that may re-write the historical past books. Cooley landed quarterback Willie Totten and vast receiver Jerry Rice after which went on to patent the “Satellite tv for pc Specific” — an offense that usually used as many as 5 receivers at a time when many groups have been nonetheless working the Wishbone and I-Formations frequently. It was throughout this era that he earned the nickname “The Gunslinger” from legendary newspaper reporter Roscoe Nance.
This system went 24-7-1 from 1983 by 1985, by far essentially the most profitable stretch in program historical past. Cooley went 42-27-2 in his seven seasons in Ita Bena, which stays one of the best document in class historical past.
Cooley then went to Arkansas-Pine Bluff when it was nonetheless an NAIA program. He went 27-13-2, together with a 9-1 season in 1990. Cooley spent one season at Norfolk State, going 3-7 with the CIAA program.
The ultimate head teaching job for Archie Cooley got here when he helped re-establish the soccer program at Paul Quinn Faculty. He went 11-31 in seven seasons with this system earlier than it was lower attributable to monetary points.
Cooley’s remaining document as a head coach stands at 83-78-5. However his impression on the sport was a lot bigger and continues to stay on, not solely in HBCU soccer however within the sport total.
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