Rob Cooper has resigned.
These last two regular-season games against Maryland will be Cooper’s last as Penn State’s baseball coach.
Penn State announced Cooper’s impending departure via press release Friday afternoon, the day after Penn State’s 17-15 loss to Maryland at home Friday night.
Rob Cooper has stepped down as the head coach of Penn State Baseball.
Thank you @16RobCooper for your 10 years leading our Nittany Lion program.https://t.co/f4NzUxPg4U#WeAre pic.twitter.com/nREQeHbBTh
— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) May 19, 2023
Heading into the last two games, Cooper is 197-269 overall and 69-157 in the Big Ten over 10 seasons.
Penn State’s only trip to the Big Ten Tournament in Cooper’s tenure took place last season. Before that, Penn State hadn’t been there since 2012 and hadn’t won a game since 2008. The team for its first conference tournament win in well over a decade against Iowa in its first tournament game, before eventually dropping the next two and bowing out.
In his press release, Cooper said he’s “beyond grateful for my time as the head baseball coach at Penn State.”
”This is a special place,” the release read, “because of the special people who make it up. My family and I love Penn State.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“While I am disappointed I wasn’t able to give the baseball program the success it deserves, I am excited about the vision Dr. (Athletic Director Pat) Kraft has for Penn State athletics, the student-athletes and the baseball program.”
Via press release, Kraft said that the school appreciates Cooper “for all he has done for the Penn State community these last 10 seasons.”
”I have a tremendous amount of respect for Rob for not only the commitment he made to our baseball program, but also the way he represented Penn State University with class. I want to thank Rob, and wish him, his wife, Maureen, and his family nothing but the best in the future.”
This season, Penn State is 6-15 in the Big Ten and has lost nine straight, without a win in May.
The school said it will conduct a national search to find Cooper’s replacement.
Rob Cooper feels the program is “in good hands.”
“The next coach will love Penn State, the people and the community as much as my family has,” he said. “I wish our players nothing but success and happiness. We Are!!!!”
