Howard College Coach Kyle Cooper has been named the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
Charlotte, NC: In his third season, Howard College Coach Kyle Cooper has been named the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.
Cooper led the Hawks to a record 33-4 and had multiple top five NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Rankings during the 2025-26 season.
In his first two years, the Hawks had a 37-23 record. The Hawks had NJCAA All-Americans back-to-back years and sent 10 players to play at the NCAA D1 level. Cooper has helped players to compete in the SEC, WAC, A-10, Southland, Sun Belt, Big Sky, Summit, and SWAC.
The Cardinals entered the 2026 Credit Union 1 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship field as the No. 1 seed and the Southwest District Champions. After defeating Dyatona State, the Hawks took on Butler Community College (KS). In a double OT nail biter, the Hawks locked in a spot in the semifinals. Howard earned a match up against a local rival Trinity Valley, the reigning National Champions, and managed to defeat them by six. In the National Championship game, they would end College of Southern Idaho's run to the title game and claim the national title.
Cooper is named the Coach of the Tournament for the first time. Hawks F/C Terry Copeland was named the William French Most Valuable Player. Two other Hawks were named the All-Tournament team.
