Jarius Cooper coaches Stanford's sprinters, hurdlers, and relays, arriving at Stanford in the fall of 2019. Cooper's influence has been substantial, and the proof is in the resurgence of Cardinal sprinting.
In 2023, sophomore Udodi Onwuzurike won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 200 meters and was sixth in the 100. Onwuzurike became the first from Stanford to win an NCAA men's sprint title since 1963. Onwuzurike's time of 19.76 in the 200 semifinals was the third-fastest collegiate time in history and a Pac-12 Conference record. Onwuzurike's 9.92 at the NCAA West Prelims was the 11th-fastest 100 in collegiate history.
Onwuzurike has broken or tied school records 18 times in his career and contributed to an onslaught of school records by Cooper's athletes in 2023. Among them was by the men's 4x100 relay team, which broke a mark that had stood for 58 years. Maya Valmon twice broke the women's 400 record and helped the 4x100 team and distance medley relay to others. In all, Cooper's athletes broke or tied Stanford indoor or outdoor records 18 times in 2023.
Onwuzurike won both the 100 and 200 at the Pac-12 Championships and was named as the conference's Men's Track Athlete of the Year. He holds Stanford records in the 60 and 200 indoors -- the latter in the seventh-fastest time in collegiate history -- and the 100, 200, and 4x100 outdoors. He also was named Academic All-American.
Onwuzurike made the Nigerian national team in both events and the 4x100 relay for the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, in which he earned relay bronze and was sixth in the 200.
In Cooper's first outdoor season on The Farm, redshirt freshman Alexa Rossum ran the fastest 100 and 200 for Stanford in 13 years. She advanced to the NCAA Championships in both events and the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200. Rossum was Stanford's first woman to qualify to the NCAA's in either the 100 or 200 since 2012.
In addition, Allie Jones became Stanford's fastest women's 100 hurdler in eight years, moving to No. 3 all-time in school history and, in 2023, Samantha Thomas became the second-fastest 400 hurdler ever at Stanford, behind only 2017 world champion Kori Carter.
In his first season at Stanford, Cooper coached Ashlan Best to a school women's indoor record in the 400. For the men, Julian Body had his best season, running big personal bests in the 60 hurdles and 200. Both Best and Body earned All-America honors as part of Stanford's NCAA-qualifying distance medley relay squads.
Under Cooper, Dorien Simon broke the Stanford freshman 60 record four times and was tied for No. 2 in that event overall in school history. In all, Stanford athletes earned or improved school indoor top-10 marks five times.
Cooper, an All-Southeastern Conference hurdler at Florida, coached under current Stanford Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field J.J. Clark at Connecticut in 2019 after six seasons as an assistant at Arkansas State.
Cooper developed Sharika Nelvis of Arkansas State into not only the nation’s top collegiate hurdler, but into the nation’s top women’s track and field athlete, winning the 2014 Honda Award for her sport. Nelvis was the NCAA champion in the 100 hurdles outdoors (12.52w) and the 60 hurdles indoors (7.93) and, a year later, made the U.S. team for the World Championships and won a U.S. indoor title in the 60 hurdles. Nelvis won seven Sun Belt championships and was among three finalists for The Bowerman, college track’s most prestigious honor.
Another top performer coached by Cooper was Jaylen Bacon, also at Arkansas State. While a collegian, Bacon was fourth in the 100 at the U.S. outdoor championships, earning a spot on the U.S. national team’s 4x100 relay for the World Championships in London, winning a silver medal.
Bacon’s fifth-place finish in the 100 at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships was A-State’s highest men’s finish in a track event at that meet since 1978. Bacon placed third in the 60 at the at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships and fifth a year later. He earned five All-America honors and was the USTFCCCA South Central Athlete of the Year.
Bacon completed his collegiate career with top marks of 6.56 in the 60, 9.97 in the 100, and 20.25 in the 200 and holds A-State records in the 60 and 100. He was the first in program history to earn first-team All-America honors in the 100 and 200 at the same NCAA Championships meet.
When Cooper left Arkansas State, his athletes held 15 school records – six outdoors and nine indoors. As the Red Wolves’ recruiting coordinator, Cooper took pride in winning the 2018 Sun Belt Conference men’s outdoor team championship. Arkansas State won five Sun Belt indoor and outdoor team titles during Cooper’s years there.
In his year at UConn, Cooper’s athletes broke two school records and won four conference titles (two indoor). Two women and a relay advanced to the NCAA East Prelims, including Kat Surin, who placed 14th at the NCAA Championships to earn second-team All-America honors.
Prior to A-State, Cooper was an assistant in the same events at his alma mater, Flagler Palm Coast High School in Palm Coast, Fla.
Cooper graduated from University of Florida in 2011 with a degree in criminology. For the Gators, Cooper was fourth in the 110 hurdles at the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championships and third in the 60 hurdles at the 2011 SEC Indoor finals. He was named to the SEC All-Academic team all four years.
Cooper is a native of Palm Coast, Florida, and was the 2007 4A state champion in the 110 hurdles (13.97), while helping the Bulldogs to the state team championship. He was the state’s top-ranked high school hurdler.
Cooper completed his masters in sport administration from Arkansas State in 2014. He is a USA Track and Field Level 1 certified instructor.
In 2023, sophomore Udodi Onwuzurike won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 200 meters and was sixth in the 100. Onwuzurike became the first from Stanford to win an NCAA men's sprint title since 1963. Onwuzurike's time of 19.76 in the 200 semifinals was the third-fastest collegiate time in history and a Pac-12 Conference record. Onwuzurike's 9.92 at the NCAA West Prelims was the 11th-fastest 100 in collegiate history.
Onwuzurike has broken or tied school records 18 times in his career and contributed to an onslaught of school records by Cooper's athletes in 2023. Among them was by the men's 4x100 relay team, which broke a mark that had stood for 58 years. Maya Valmon twice broke the women's 400 record and helped the 4x100 team and distance medley relay to others. In all, Cooper's athletes broke or tied Stanford indoor or outdoor records 18 times in 2023.
Onwuzurike won both the 100 and 200 at the Pac-12 Championships and was named as the conference's Men's Track Athlete of the Year. He holds Stanford records in the 60 and 200 indoors -- the latter in the seventh-fastest time in collegiate history -- and the 100, 200, and 4x100 outdoors. He also was named Academic All-American.
Onwuzurike made the Nigerian national team in both events and the 4x100 relay for the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, in which he earned relay bronze and was sixth in the 200.
In Cooper's first outdoor season on The Farm, redshirt freshman Alexa Rossum ran the fastest 100 and 200 for Stanford in 13 years. She advanced to the NCAA Championships in both events and the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200. Rossum was Stanford's first woman to qualify to the NCAA's in either the 100 or 200 since 2012.
In addition, Allie Jones became Stanford's fastest women's 100 hurdler in eight years, moving to No. 3 all-time in school history and, in 2023, Samantha Thomas became the second-fastest 400 hurdler ever at Stanford, behind only 2017 world champion Kori Carter.
In his first season at Stanford, Cooper coached Ashlan Best to a school women's indoor record in the 400. For the men, Julian Body had his best season, running big personal bests in the 60 hurdles and 200. Both Best and Body earned All-America honors as part of Stanford's NCAA-qualifying distance medley relay squads.
Under Cooper, Dorien Simon broke the Stanford freshman 60 record four times and was tied for No. 2 in that event overall in school history. In all, Stanford athletes earned or improved school indoor top-10 marks five times.
Cooper, an All-Southeastern Conference hurdler at Florida, coached under current Stanford Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field J.J. Clark at Connecticut in 2019 after six seasons as an assistant at Arkansas State.
Cooper developed Sharika Nelvis of Arkansas State into not only the nation’s top collegiate hurdler, but into the nation’s top women’s track and field athlete, winning the 2014 Honda Award for her sport. Nelvis was the NCAA champion in the 100 hurdles outdoors (12.52w) and the 60 hurdles indoors (7.93) and, a year later, made the U.S. team for the World Championships and won a U.S. indoor title in the 60 hurdles. Nelvis won seven Sun Belt championships and was among three finalists for The Bowerman, college track’s most prestigious honor.
Another top performer coached by Cooper was Jaylen Bacon, also at Arkansas State. While a collegian, Bacon was fourth in the 100 at the U.S. outdoor championships, earning a spot on the U.S. national team’s 4x100 relay for the World Championships in London, winning a silver medal.
Bacon’s fifth-place finish in the 100 at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships was A-State’s highest men’s finish in a track event at that meet since 1978. Bacon placed third in the 60 at the at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships and fifth a year later. He earned five All-America honors and was the USTFCCCA South Central Athlete of the Year.
Bacon completed his collegiate career with top marks of 6.56 in the 60, 9.97 in the 100, and 20.25 in the 200 and holds A-State records in the 60 and 100. He was the first in program history to earn first-team All-America honors in the 100 and 200 at the same NCAA Championships meet.
When Cooper left Arkansas State, his athletes held 15 school records – six outdoors and nine indoors. As the Red Wolves’ recruiting coordinator, Cooper took pride in winning the 2018 Sun Belt Conference men’s outdoor team championship. Arkansas State won five Sun Belt indoor and outdoor team titles during Cooper’s years there.
In his year at UConn, Cooper’s athletes broke two school records and won four conference titles (two indoor). Two women and a relay advanced to the NCAA East Prelims, including Kat Surin, who placed 14th at the NCAA Championships to earn second-team All-America honors.
Prior to A-State, Cooper was an assistant in the same events at his alma mater, Flagler Palm Coast High School in Palm Coast, Fla.
Cooper graduated from University of Florida in 2011 with a degree in criminology. For the Gators, Cooper was fourth in the 110 hurdles at the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championships and third in the 60 hurdles at the 2011 SEC Indoor finals. He was named to the SEC All-Academic team all four years.
Cooper is a native of Palm Coast, Florida, and was the 2007 4A state champion in the 110 hurdles (13.97), while helping the Bulldogs to the state team championship. He was the state’s top-ranked high school hurdler.
Cooper completed his masters in sport administration from Arkansas State in 2014. He is a USA Track and Field Level 1 certified instructor.