Lakers legend Michael Cooper named coach at Cal State LA

Hall of Famer Michael Cooper is headed back to the sidelines.

According to the City News Service via the Los Angeles Daily News, the longtime Lakers guard/forward has been named the next head coach at Cal State Los Angeles. Cooper, 70, brings decades of NBA and WNBA experience to the program.

“I’ve always said it takes five Ds to win a championship: determination, dedication, desire, discipline and decision-making,” Cooper said. “I’ve incorporated those principles into my coaching philosophy, and they will be pillars of what we do here at Cal State LA.”

Cooper is best known for his role on the Showtime-era Lakers teams, where he won five NBA titles and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987.

After his playing career, he spent three seasons as a Lakers assistant from 1994-96 before transitioning to the WNBA, where he found significant success.

He won two championships as a head coach in the WNBA and was named Coach of the Year in 2000. Cooper also had a brief stint as an interim head coach with the Nuggets during the 2004-05 season, going 4-10 across 14 games.

As a player, Cooper appeared in 873 NBA games, averaging 8.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds while establishing himself as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders.

Now, he’ll look to bring that same championship mindset to the college ranks.