Cooper takes over as leader of Crimson Tide
Written by: TJ Eck on May 14, 2024
Elijah Cooper is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Which, in turn, makes him a Jalen Hurts fan.
“One of the things I love about Jalen Hurts is his mindset,” said Cooper. “One of the things you hear him talk about is (improving) 1% better every day.”
That thought process and mindset is what Cooper is looking to instill in his program as he takes over as the head coach of Columbia boy basketball.
“To me, having that focus is so crucial and important,” said Cooper. “Understanding that the process is actually the prize, not what you get at the end of the season.”
However, Cooper takes over a Columbia program that has gotten used to earning prizes at the end of the season. The Crimson Tide won the PIAA District 3 Class 3A title this past season to go along with its fifth straight Lancaster-Lebanon League section title.
Cooper was recently named head coach at Columbia after Kerry Glover stepped down following a successful eight-year run up on the hill.
Cooper is new to the role of head coach but is well-known in the Columbia community. He was an assistant for Glover for seven seasons while also serving as the JV coach for the Crimson Tide.
Now he’s the head man for one of the most storied programs in the history of the L-L League.
Congrats to our new boys varsity head coach Elijah Cooper! (@El1_coop) pic.twitter.com/MmX83GBVWb
— Columbia Boys Bball (@columbia_boys) May 8, 2024
“(Columbia fans) love their basketball so much and I am a basketball junkie,” said Cooper. “It feels like a home away from home because of their passion for the sport.”
He continued: “One thing I have always loved about Columbia is I never have to coach effort here. In the seven years that I have been here, that’s kind of a given. It’s kind of built into the nature of these kids and this town.”
Cooper comes from a strong basketball background. He was a standout high school player at Northeastern in York County. He went on to play college basketball at the NCAA Division II level at Lock Haven University, where he was a team captain his senior season and helped LHU to multiple appearances in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs.
His coaching career started thanks to connections formed through AAU basketball. Cooper’s father was the director for the then York-based Raiders Basketball Academy that Glover was and continues to be a part of.
“I was just looking for any job,” said Cooper. “I was willing to come on as a volunteer. I was just looking to get on staff and pay my dues.”
Fortunately, Glover was in need of a JV coach at Columbia and Cooper got the job.
“I’m not sure there’s anybody that would’ve been a more perfect person to kind of lead me into my coaching journey,” said Cooper.
While Cooper was leading the JV program and serving as an assistant for the varsity squad, he was able to put his stamp on the Columbia program because of the way Glover empowered him to make an impact.
“90% of the decisions that he makes, he consults with us,” said Cooper, when describing Glover. “My thing is offense; I am very big into team offense and set designs and plays and offenses in general. That’s kind of been my role on the staff, so much so that he will let me call plays from the sideline.”
It’s experiences like those that will help Cooper as he becomes a head coach. As for his playing style, expect to see more of the same from the Crimson Tide, a program that is historically based around athletic, talented guards.
“There’s a specific style that we kind of have to play based on the players that come through Columbia,” said Cooper. “Which is guard-oriented, which is fine because that’s the style I have played my whole life and it’s where the game is trending in general.”
Cooper continued: “We’ll play fast and we’ll space the floor and look to attack teams that way.”
Cooper has his work cut out for him in year one. Columbia graduates the overwhelming majority of its starting lineup and key reserves from last season. But there is talent coming up from the JV ranks to join returning starter Ladarian Miller, who is one of the best returning shooters in the L-L League.
No matter who is in the gym during offseason workouts or when practice begins in the fall, Cooper will be relying on the message of his favorite quarterback: to get better 1% every day.
(Photo Courtesy: Rupp Sports Photography)
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