An Interview with Eric Cooper

By Mike McMillion

Dr. Eric Cooper is a graduate of Cabell Midland High School and went on to West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV where he received his Exercise Science degree in 2009. After undergrad, Eric went to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa and completed the Doctor of chiropractic program in the fall of 2012.

During his time at Wesleyan, Dr. Cooper ran cross country and track on scholarship and was a multiple-time conference champion, all-region runner and competed on the national level. He continues to train and compete at an elite level and just recently accepted the head cross country coaching position at Hurricane H.S.

Here is a brief biography of Eric Cooper’s running career. He ran in high school for Cabell Midland. He was a 4-time all-state selection in cross country, while being a state runner-up twice. He helped lead the Knights’ to 3 cross country championships (2001, 2002, 2004). He was a 5-time all-state selection in the 1600m and 3200m, while being a state champion in the 3200m twice. He played a role in 3 track & field team championships (2003, 2004, 2005). In college at Wesleyan, his best time in CC in the 10k was 31:26 at the NCAA Division II East Regional, which is almost exactly 5:04 minute per mile pace. His seventh place finish at regionals qualified him for the NCAA Divison II Cross Country Championships. His best time in track in the 5k was 14:58.

Coach McMillion – First of all, congratulations on accepting the head cross country and track position at Hurricane High.

Eric Cooper – Thank you, I’m very excited for the opportunity.

CM – Are you a teacher? If not, what’s your occupation?

EC – No, I am not a teacher. I’m a sports chiropractor in Barboursville. I specialize in working with athletes, specifically runners, in injury prevention and injury rehab.

CM – Before we jump into all of the coaching questions, when did you first start running?

EC – Well, I officially started running when I was in the 7^th grade when I went out for the track team (we couldn’t participate as 6^th graders at the time and cross country wasn’t in middle schools yet), but Coach Chris Parsons was my elementary school gym teacher so I guess you could say I started running then, haha.

CM - Did you run track or cross country in high school or college? If so, who were your coaches and how did they impact your running career?

EC – Oh gosh, this is a deep one for me. I ran cross country and track both at Cabell Midland HS and West Virginia Wesleyan College and I have been spoiled in having Coach Parsons and Coach Skiles as my two coaches. I would lean on these guys—not only were they both phenomenal coaches but they were there for me when I needed them outside of running. I still call both of them up when I need something or just to catch up. I honestly credit being a part of a team, a family atmosphere, and teammates I have had, for developing me into the person I am and getting me to where I am today. Heck, four of my five groomsmen in my wedding were college cross country and track teammates and are still my closest friends today. I know you only asked about the coaches, but I have to include teammates in that. I’m passionate about kids being a part of a team and surrounding yourself with the right people; I think the relationships you build last a lifetime.

CM - How much did you run mileage wise during your high school seasons and during the off season?

EC – In high school I was running around 40-50 miles per week in-season and during the summer I would run around 50-60 miles per week (this was by the end of high school). I played basketball through the winter and didn’t run very much outside of that.

CM - What were some of your best performances in high school track or cross country?

EC – I ran low 4:30’s for the 1600, 9:30’s for the 3200 and 15:50’s for 5k on a cross country course in high school, and I’m probably most proud of going sub-16 in high school. It’s funny though, because that was competing at the top of the state at that time but now kids are blowing that out of the water.

CM - What was the biggest disappointment of your running career in high school or college?

EC – I would say one of my biggest disappointments is getting 2^nd place twice in cross country during high school. I also feel that I could have ran much faster than I did in college—the fitness was there and workouts pointed to faster times than I ran, it just never quite came together in a race.

CM - What are some highlights of your running career?

EC – Cross country and track through high school and college have provided some of the best memories of my life; it was always so much fun. I’ll never forget winning the team state championships while at Midland—we won three in XC and three in track while I was there. And winning two individual state championships in track is something I’ll never forget. On top of that, track and XC has taken me to some pretty neat places.

CM - Do you still run competitively?

EC – I do, or at least I try to. Working with high school teams, I have jumped in college races as an unattached runner when we have gone to meets that have a college division and over this past winter I competed in Marshall’s indoor meets. I never thought I would get back into racing like that, but I just love to compete. I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do this fall as competing for myself has fallen on the priority list.

CM - What personal running accomplishments are you most proud of?

EC – Breaking the 15-minute barrier for 5k for the first time at Wake Forest is definitely a highlight for me, but I’d say my biggest accomplishment was qualifying for the D-II national cross country championships. Being in one of the hardest regions in the country it made it especially hard to qualify—so hard that I don’t feel like I recovered between regionals and nationals.

CM - Now we will move to the coaching questions. I know you helped train Midland’s top 7 runners, and was a chiropractor if anyone needed it. What was your role or position?

EC – Yes, I was an assistant coach, but I primarily worked with the top 8-9 boys because I trained with them also. It was really a great situation because they helped me and I helped them. Coaching runners and treating runners has been a funny line and one that I continue to figure out. It’s definitely a benefit as I have a good understanding on biomechanics and what can lead to an injury, but at the same time, I try not to be overbearing about it. The kids I’ve worked with know that they can ask me what to do for an ache or pain, and with the kids that keep their aches and pains to themselves it’s kind of like, “you know I work with that every day, right?”.

CM - Did you coach anywhere else previously?

EC – No, working with Midland was my first coaching position. When I moved back from Iowa where I went to grad school, I started running with the Midland guys just to get back in shape then it developed into me working with them more and more and taking on a bigger role.

CM – You spent your first years of coaching working alongside Coach Chris Parsons, what did you take away from his program?

EC – They obviously have a very successful program and have since the school opened and it starts with him. The time he puts into the team is unbelievable. The training is highly individualized; it’s not a cookie cutter approach, even with as many kids as they have. On any one workout there may be 10-12 different groups depending on the runners’ fitness level. I think that is the biggest thing—there is no one left behind.

CM – With all the success at Cabell Midland, what motivated you to be a coach at the Hurricane High?

EC – It was definitely a tough decision when you see the kids progressing the way they are right now, but as selfish as it sounds, I wanted to have my own team. I felt like it was time to carve my own path, I guess. Hurricane has a great group of kids, I knew almost half of them before taking the position and have watched them over the past couple years, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with both the boys and girls.

CM – Having made friendships with all the guys, was it a very difficult decision to make?

EC – Oh gosh, it was tough. I knew that I wanted to coach at Hurricane, that wasn’t the question, but leaving those guys who I’m used to running with and being around all the time was tough. Those guys really became like brothers to me; they were like my little brothers. With that being said, the friendships will still remain and I’ll still root for them. I’ll still see them often.

CM – Coach Bill Posey and Coach Jason Henley left the program in a good condition, how will you continue to develop it?

EC – Yeah, they both obviously did tremendous work with the program. Coach Posey brought the program up to a top level then Coach Henley continued with that. The biggest thing I noticed when I first started working with the kids over the three-week period is that they already knew what they needed to be doing, and that is from good coaching in the past.

As with any coaching change, there will be certain little changes in drills, workouts, etc. but the concepts and philosophy will generally stay the same. The biggest thing I want to do is get kids involved. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen kids be weary of cross country but then they try it and end up loving it.

CM - What is your favorite part about coaching high school distance runners?

EC – I really like the high school level. There is so much growing that happens during the high school years—both as a runner and as a person, and I like being a part of and witnessing that.

CM – Do you do distance runs or run the workouts with the athletes that you coach?

EC – Yes, I try to when I can. Sometimes I like to sit back and watch the workout and sometimes I like to jump in with the kids. I’m not exactly sure how or how often I’ll be able to this fall, but if I can recruit someone to write down times, I certainly hope to help pace some of the guys and push the girls when I can.

CM - Without going too far in depth, what is your training philosophy for your distance runners?

EC – Consistency is the key. It’s not any one run or workout that makes or breaks a runner, it’s consistent work that matters. My philosophy for the off-season is to get stronger—aerobically and physically. This includes hilly runs and steady state, aerobic threshold runs. If you want to reach your full potential, you have to put in work in the off-season and I don’t mean workouts; I don’t think you want to come into the season in racing shape, but instead with a solid base under you ready for the work to get to racing shape.

CM – Let’s say a high school runner is planning on running competitively at the college level. What are some things he can do during his Junior and Senior year to prepare himself for the next level?

EC – The best thing they can do is increase their mileage and get used to a longer long run. The jump from 5k to the 8k and 10k distances can be a daunting one and one that requires a different level of fitness.

CM - What are some of the best things a high school coach can do to prepare a high school runner for running in college?

EC – Being a college athlete requires self-discipline and it’s important to prepare kids for that. At high school, they are still kids, but if you can teach them to be self-sufficient it will be less of a shock for them when it comes to the college schedule and when they are in charge of themselves.

CM – What are some of the things you suggest could help build the program into a success in the years to come?

EC – I have three goals as a coach: have fun, stay healthy and be consistent. If we keep those goals in mind, keep the kids first, the rest will follow.

CM - Thanks coach for your time. Good luck with your cross country team in 2015.

EC – Thank you very much and thank you for your time!