Next up is defensive backs coach, Ben Cooprider!
Name: Ben Cooprider
Hometown: DeKalb, IL/Minneapolis, MN
Alma Mater: Carleton College - B.A. in American Studies (2006); Concordia University - St. Paul - M.A. in Organizational Management with Sports Management emphasis (2009)
Family: Dad (Bob), Mom (Sharon), Brother (Nick-22), and my 7 month old golden retriever, Griswold
Position/Title at Grinnell: Assistant Football and Assistant Baseball Coach
What brought you to Grinnell?
The opportunity to coach in a full-time capacity while working with both football and baseball programs at a highly academic liberal arts institution. I also had a connection through my former college baseball coach, who was a graduate and former assistant here at Grinnell.
What do you enjoy about coaching at Grinnell?
I enjoy everything, but it's the people here that make this place great. The administration, from President Osgood to our athletic director, Coach Wallace, the coaches, the support staff, and most of all the student-athletes. Interacting with the student-athletes on a daily basis, hearing about their class work, how their weekend was, or even listening to a funny story, is by far the most enjoyable part of this "job".
What is your favorite memory here at Grinnell?
I have just completed my first baseball and football cycle and already there are too many to pick just one. The two that stand out to me are qualifying for and playing in the MWC Baseball Tournament last May and the defensive backs stellar performance against St. Norbert this fall.
Why did you choose your alma mater? What drew you there?
Looking back I know it was the opportunity to play two sports in college, neither of which I was ready to give up, combined with the awesome education and small-town location. But I'm not sure all of that was going through my mind when I was making the decision. Something in my gut told me to go to Carleton and I could not be more happy or thankful for my choice. The experience of playing sports for four years was fantastic, but the education and friendships I garnered while there will last me a lifetime.
How would you describe yourself as a coach?
I enjoy everything about being a coach at this level and I think that is evident in the manner in which I approach every day, practice, or meeting. To me, if you don't have passion or excitement for what you are doing then there's no point in doing it. I thoroughly enjoy working with the student-athletes we have at Grinnell and they constantly amaze me with their intelligence, humor, foresight, and respect for those around them.
Favorite movie: "Field of Dreams", but "Caddyshack" and "Animal House" are 1B and 1C.
Favorite book: Usually whatever I'm reading at said point in time. Right now, it's Catcher: How the Man Behind the Plate Became an American Folk Hero by Peter Morris.
Favorite food(s): Anything spicy. Combinations of peanut butter and chocolate. But my absolute favorite food are the Hot Sweet & Tangy Grilled Chicken Wings from Bru's Room in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Favorite travel location: Any cabin on any lake in any small Upper Midwestern town
Hobbies and Interests: Golfing, walking the dog, reading, American history, politics
List at least one random or interesting fact about you: I have a large widow's peak. Cindy Crawford went to, and graduated, from my high school as valedictorian of the Class of 1984. I have never been out of the country. My "pointer" and "middle" toes are all longer than my big toes. And the day I came home from the hospital after being born, the temperature outside was 25 degrees below zero with a wind chill of 75 below!
