A.J. Cooper, a Phoenix, Arizona, native, who's carved a nearly two-decade career in college coaching, is making a homecoming of sorts.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Cooper is in line to join the staff of new Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. It also is a reunion for Cooper, who's rejoining Brian Ward after Ward's hiring this weekend as the Sun Devils' defensive coordinator.
A former standout-player at North Dakota State, Cooper has coached all along the defensive line and added defensive running game coordinator duties to his plate this past season at Washington State. The scrappy Cougars scored an early-season upset-win at Wisconsin and also won three of their final four games to secure the program's seventh-straight bowl berth.
After initially signing a free agent pact with the Green Bay Packers after his playing days as a all-conference tight end at North Dakota State, Cooper worked his way through the coaching ranks at his alma mater and then also with a five-year run coaching defense and special teams at the University of Wyoming.