The University of Akron Athletics
Football
Cooley, Jonathan
Jonathan Cooley
- Title:
- Assistant Coach | Defensive Backs | Corners & Nickels
- Email:
- fbrecruit@uakron.edu
- Phone:
- (330) 972-7466
Jonathan Cooley enters his first season in 2019 at the University of Akron as the Zips’ defensive backs coach. He will handle the cornerbacks and nickels.
Cooley took over as secondary coach for Kent State in 2018.
He followed head coach Tom Arth to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for the 2017 season. Cooley served as the Mocs' defensive backs coach. The Mocs led the Southern Conference in total defense, allowing just 326.4 yards per game and 309.6 yards per contest in conference games. Chattanooga also led the SoCon in pass defense and ranked second in first downs allowed.
Prior to serving as defensive backs coach for the Mocs, Cooley was a defensive graduate assistant at Kentucky for two seasons (2015-16). The Wildcats finished tied for second in the SEC East and earned a bowl bid.
Before Kentucky, Cooley spent two seasons as secondary coach at his alma mater, John Carroll University. He helped the defense at JCU finish in the top five nationally in Division III both seasons.
Cooley’s first coaching job came as a defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator at Millikin University in 2011. He then coached safeties at Bluffton University in 2012 and served as the team’s equipment manager.
Cooley was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at John Carroll, when he first came to Northeast Ohio. The defensive back finished in the Top 10 in career pass breakups for the Blue Streaks.
Cooley was elected as a Unity Council member in all four years at JCU and earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in 2011. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from John Carroll in 2014. He completed work towards a second master’s degree in sport leadership at Kentucky.
In 2019, Cooley was selected by the NFL for 2019 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Los Angeles Rams.
A native of Columbus, Cooley, 29, resides in Cleveland.
Cooley took over as secondary coach for Kent State in 2018.
He followed head coach Tom Arth to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for the 2017 season. Cooley served as the Mocs' defensive backs coach. The Mocs led the Southern Conference in total defense, allowing just 326.4 yards per game and 309.6 yards per contest in conference games. Chattanooga also led the SoCon in pass defense and ranked second in first downs allowed.
Prior to serving as defensive backs coach for the Mocs, Cooley was a defensive graduate assistant at Kentucky for two seasons (2015-16). The Wildcats finished tied for second in the SEC East and earned a bowl bid.
Before Kentucky, Cooley spent two seasons as secondary coach at his alma mater, John Carroll University. He helped the defense at JCU finish in the top five nationally in Division III both seasons.
Cooley’s first coaching job came as a defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator at Millikin University in 2011. He then coached safeties at Bluffton University in 2012 and served as the team’s equipment manager.
Cooley was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at John Carroll, when he first came to Northeast Ohio. The defensive back finished in the Top 10 in career pass breakups for the Blue Streaks.
Cooley was elected as a Unity Council member in all four years at JCU and earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in 2011. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from John Carroll in 2014. He completed work towards a second master’s degree in sport leadership at Kentucky.
In 2019, Cooley was selected by the NFL for 2019 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Los Angeles Rams.
A native of Columbus, Cooley, 29, resides in Cleveland.
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