Sean Cooper joined the Midway University Track & Field staff in fall 2025 as an assistant coach where he is primarily responsible for the jumps and throws.
Cooper brings ten years of collegiate coaching experience, having coached all event areas and served as a recruitment coordinator. Prior to joining Midway, he served two stints coaching at his alma mater – the University of Central Missouri (UCM) – and two additional years at William Jewell College (MO), both of which he was additionally responsible for strength and conditioning programming.
He is a former NCAA track & field decathlete at Central Missouri where he was coached, and later mentored, by U.S. Olympic decathlete Kip Janvrin. As an athlete, Cooper was a member of three MIAA conference championship teams, having also earned All-Conference honors in the decathlon. Two teams in which he competed have been inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame.
Cooper has served on the staff of 13 conference team championships and 12 top-10 NCAA II team finishes while at UCM. Individually, he has coached national champions in both the discus and pole vault, 12 All-Americans and dozens of all-conference honors. Six of Cooper’s athletes have qualified for the USATF World Championship Trials in the hammer throw and discus (U.S. ranked 26th/32nd), USATF Indoor Championships (triple jump), and USATF U20 Championships (4 - hammer, discus, javelin, 110HH). His athletes have combined to break 20 school records.
Four of his athletes, and one of the teams in which he was on staff, have been inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame. Additionally, two of his athletes have been inducted into the William Jewell Athletics Hall of Fame.
Cooper earned his Master of Science degrees in Exercise & Sport Science and Athletic & Sport Administration from the University of Central Missouri, is a former Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (National Strength & Conditioning Association), and is a Certified Personal Trainer (National Association of Sports Medicine).
Cooper is originally from Shawnee Mission, KS. He currently resides in Lexington with his wife, two daughters and their dog. When not enjoying time with his family’s many activities, he enjoys trail running and hiking.
