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Former Pirate's dream season
See it in Print
Former Pirate's dream season
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Steve Cooper hasn't had a feeling like this since he was a receiver for Marshfield High School.
“It's cool,” Cooper said. “It's exciting.
“The playoff buzz is different.”
Especially where Cooper is now.
The former Pirate is now Portland State's offensive coordinator, helping the Vikings prepare for their first playoff game since 2000. The Vikings host Northern Iowa at 7 p.m. Saturday in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“We're fired up,” Cooper said. “There's no really great way to explain it. I will probably be able to put it in better words and quantify it after the season.”
Cooper hopes that is a few weeks away yet.
The Vikings are light years from where they were a year ago, a program that was struggling to the extent that football coach Nigel Burton was fired.
Bruce Barnam, who had been the Vikings' offensive coordinator, was hired on an interim basis. Barnam promoted Cooper from receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Even though he's only 29, with seven years on the staff, Cooper has the longest tenure.
Cooper said the biggest reason for Portland State's turnaround is Barnam.
“He's awesome,” Cooper said. “He's a true player's coach. He gets the most out of everyone.”
The results have shown on the field.
The season started with an upset win at Washington State, the first in three tries as a player or coach when Cooper has been with the Vikings.
“We played them last year and it wasn't even close,” he said. “They moved it up and down the field against us. My senior year, we played them in Pullman and it was the same thing.”
The win sparked what eventually became a 9-2 season
Along the way, new athletic director Mark Rountree took away the interim tag from Barnam, signing him to a five-year contract.
The announcement came at the end of practice during the week the Vikings were preparing to face nemesis Montana State.
“Everyone cheered,” Cooper said.
As a bonus, the Vikings beat Montana State, to go with a win over Montana, another nemesis. In all of Cooper's time in Portland, the Vikings hadn't beaten either the Bobcats or Grizzlies.
“To beat them both the same year is special,” he said.
Those were two of the many games the Vikings probably would have been expected to lose at the start of the season, Cooper said. The only two they would have been favored in were the two they lost — 19-17 to North Dakota and 35-32 to Northern Colorado on a touchdown in the final minute.
But Portland State didn't let the losses kill their positive momentum.
“Probably two of the biggest wins we had this season came after those losses,” Cooper said.
“That's a testament to this crew. T hey know how to win. They figured out how to win and they're not giving it up.”
That's been one of the joys of what has become a great year, but a very busy one for the new offensive coordinator.
“It's a lot more work,” Cooper said. “You have a lot more on your plate. You have to be a lot more efficient.”
That's been part of the learning process, a constant evolution for Cooper.
“I started the minute Coach Barnam appointed me to the position and I haven't stopped yet,” he said.
If the Vikings can get past a talented Northern Iowa team on Saturday, that will continue.
“It's going to be a nice challenge,” Cooper said. “It's going to be fun.”
Former Pirate's dream season
See it in Print
Former Pirate's dream season
http://theworldlink.com/sports/local/article_7ee15a23-0bf8-52e1-a0a2-439811ae848b.html#.VmCIag0strc.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve Cooper hasn't had a feeling like this since he was a receiver for Marshfield High School.
“It's cool,” Cooper said. “It's exciting.
“The playoff buzz is different.”
Especially where Cooper is now.
The former Pirate is now Portland State's offensive coordinator, helping the Vikings prepare for their first playoff game since 2000. The Vikings host Northern Iowa at 7 p.m. Saturday in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“We're fired up,” Cooper said. “There's no really great way to explain it. I will probably be able to put it in better words and quantify it after the season.”
Cooper hopes that is a few weeks away yet.
The Vikings are light years from where they were a year ago, a program that was struggling to the extent that football coach Nigel Burton was fired.
Bruce Barnam, who had been the Vikings' offensive coordinator, was hired on an interim basis. Barnam promoted Cooper from receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Even though he's only 29, with seven years on the staff, Cooper has the longest tenure.
Cooper said the biggest reason for Portland State's turnaround is Barnam.
“He's awesome,” Cooper said. “He's a true player's coach. He gets the most out of everyone.”
The results have shown on the field.
The season started with an upset win at Washington State, the first in three tries as a player or coach when Cooper has been with the Vikings.
“We played them last year and it wasn't even close,” he said. “They moved it up and down the field against us. My senior year, we played them in Pullman and it was the same thing.”
The win sparked what eventually became a 9-2 season
Along the way, new athletic director Mark Rountree took away the interim tag from Barnam, signing him to a five-year contract.
The announcement came at the end of practice during the week the Vikings were preparing to face nemesis Montana State.
“Everyone cheered,” Cooper said.
As a bonus, the Vikings beat Montana State, to go with a win over Montana, another nemesis. In all of Cooper's time in Portland, the Vikings hadn't beaten either the Bobcats or Grizzlies.
“To beat them both the same year is special,” he said.
Those were two of the many games the Vikings probably would have been expected to lose at the start of the season, Cooper said. The only two they would have been favored in were the two they lost — 19-17 to North Dakota and 35-32 to Northern Colorado on a touchdown in the final minute.
But Portland State didn't let the losses kill their positive momentum.
“Probably two of the biggest wins we had this season came after those losses,” Cooper said.
“That's a testament to this crew. T hey know how to win. They figured out how to win and they're not giving it up.”
That's been one of the joys of what has become a great year, but a very busy one for the new offensive coordinator.
“It's a lot more work,” Cooper said. “You have a lot more on your plate. You have to be a lot more efficient.”
That's been part of the learning process, a constant evolution for Cooper.
“I started the minute Coach Barnam appointed me to the position and I haven't stopped yet,” he said.
If the Vikings can get past a talented Northern Iowa team on Saturday, that will continue.
“It's going to be a nice challenge,” Cooper said. “It's going to be fun.”
