Head coach Rick Cooper enters his 17th season at the helm of the WTAMU basketball program having enjoyed a tenure which, beginning with the 1993-94 campaign, has seen the Buffaloes record 16-consecutive winning seasons and make eight NCAA Regional Tournament appearances, including three of the past four seasons and seven trips over the past 12 years.

In 2007-08, Cooper guided the Buffs' squad to another Lone Star Conference South Division regular season title, the school's 12th postseason appearance and was honored with his second NCAA South Central Region Coach of the Year award as well as his sixth LSC Coach of the Year honor.

Cooper, who holds a 463-199 (.699) overall record in 22 seasons as a head coach, is 311-152 (.671) through 16 seasons with the Buffaloes. He has never had a losing campaign at WT and is the first coach in WT men's basketball history to win 300 games, accomplishing the feat on Dec. 4, 2008 when the Buffs defeated #3-ranked Central Oklahoma, 80-67. On Jan. 8, 2004, Cooper became WTAMU's all-time winningest head coach and just the second coach in school history with over 200 wins. He is a six-time LSC Coach of the Year, winning the award his first season in 1993-94, as well as in 1997-98, 1998-99 and in each of the last three seasons, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. Cooper was also named South Central Regional Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1997-98.

WTAMU has averaged nearly 20 wins per year in Cooper's tenure at the helm. Along the way,Cooperhas compiled the fourth-best winning percentage. He tied the school record for most wins by a first-year head coach as he led the Buffs to a 20-10 mark in 1993-94.

Cooper led the 1997-98 team to many firsts. The Buffs set a school record by starting the season 15-0 and were ranked as high as fifth in the nation. In doing so, Cooper became the first WTAMU coach to lead the team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight with an appearance. By season's end, WTAMU led all NCAA Division II schools in team field-goal percentage and was ranked in five national statistical categories

Prior to arriving at WTAMU, Cooper led Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, to three NAIA national tournament berths in his six years as head coach. Cooper compiled a 152-48 record (.760) as the Pioneers' head coach in six seasons, which still stands as a school record. Further, he guided WBU to at least the NAIA district semifinal round in each of his six seasons.

Cooper was an assistant coach at WBU for five years before being elevated to head coach, where he led the Pioneers to NAIA Top 10 finishes from 1987-1992, topped off by a third-place ranking in 1989. In 1990-91, he guided WBU to a school-best 29-4 record and captured the district championship. Cooper was tabbed the NAIA District 8 Coach of the Year in 1989, 1991 and 1992.

Cooper also had a distinguished playing career at WBU. A four-year letterwinner, Cooper led the Pioneers to their first 20-win season and NAIA District 8 championship. Listed 16th on WBU's all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,214 points from 1977-81, he was a formidable post player. His playing honors include NAIA District 8 Player of the Week twice, Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Sports Achievement Award and receiving first-team NAIA District 8 honors.

Cooper graduated from WBU with a bachelor's degree in education in 1981 with majors in English and physical education. He obtained his master's of education degree in secondary education specializing in physical education from WBU in 1984.

In 2002, Cooper received the Harley Redin Coaches Award from WBU.

Cooper and his wife Janie have two children, Tyler, a WT graduate and basketball standout from 2008-08, and Kori, a middle blocker for the University of Nebraska volleyball team.