Player Bio: Stephen Cooksey

Stephen Cooksey

Position:
Head Coach

Experience:
20th Year

Alma Mater:
Indiana State '72

Stephen Cooksey, owner of a 245-32 (.884) record at Navy, enters his 20th season at the helm of the men's track & field teams in 2007-08.

Last season, Cooksey directed the Mids to a combined 14-2 mark during the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The 2006-07 Midshipmen finished 23rd at the IC4A Championship during the outdoor season and a 42nd-place effort at the NCAA East Region Championship. Navy sent one of its own, Paul Harris, to both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships for the seventh time in Cooksey's career.

Over his first-19 seasons as head coach of the Midshipmen, teams coached by Cooksey have had 11 individuals earn to a total of 18 All-America honors. Last season, Paul Harris earned All-America distinction at the NCAA Indoor Championship with a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run.

Under the guidance of Cooksey, the Mids have registered at least 10 combined victories for 15-straight seasons and in 16 of his 19 years. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, he has guided his teams to a stellar 134-10 (.931) record.

Cooksey has maintained that success against Army in Star Meet competitions, where he owns a career 24-14 (.632) record over the Black Knights. He has posted a 16-4 (.800) mark against Army over the past-10 years, including six indoor and outdoor season sweeps.

The Midshipmen have won two Patriot League Indoor Championships (2004 and '05) with Cooksey at the helm. In both of those years, he was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year.

Navy won the Heptagonal outdoor competition three-straight years from 1991-93 and posted back-to-back wins in the Heptagonal indoor championship in 1992 and `93. The team also captured the Colonial Athletic Association outdoor crown following the 1991 season.

Cooksey came to Annapolis in 1984 and assisted Al Cantello with both the cross country and the track & field teams at Navy until 1988 when he took over the reins of Navy's track program.

Before coming to Navy, Cooksey spent six years as the head cross country and track & field coach at Ball State, where he began as an assistant in 1974. He was acting head cross country coach for the Cardinals in the 1978-79 season and became the head coach of the cross country and track & field teams in 1979. During his time at Ball State, Cooksey worked with 18 NCAA qualifiers, three All-Americans and an NCAA champion.

In 1998, he was named the head coach for the United States World Junior Championship team and has served as a coach on several other U.S. National teams.

Cooksey, an associate professor in the physical education department at the Academy, was named the recipient of the 2003 Superintendent's Distinguished Athletic Leadership Award for teaching and coaching.

Cooksey and his wife, Valerie, have one daughter, Brooke, and reside in Annapolis, Md.

Cooksey's Year-by-Year Record

Year		In	vs. Army		Out	vs. Army
1988-89		5-1	L, 68.7-67.3		5-1	L, 86-77
1989-90		3-2	W, 77-59		5-2	W, 88-75
1990-91		6-0	W, 77-59		3-1	W, 100-63
1991-92		8-0	W, 91-45		1-0	W, 93.2-69.8
1992-93		8-0	W, 88-48		4-0	W, 109-54
1993-94		5-3	L, 77-59		6-2	L, 82-81
1994-95		6-2	L, 79-57		4-1	L, 87.5-75.5
1995-96		6-1	L, 84-52		6-1	L, 106-57
1996-97		7-1	L, 82-63		9-1	L, 89-74
1997-98		7-3	W, 80-65		7-0	W, 92-71
1998-99		11-0	W, 93-88		10-0	W, 157-132
1999-00		7-0	W, 101.5-79.5		6-0	W, 108-95
2000-01		5-1	L, 106-75		7-0	W, 102-101
2001-02		4-1	W, 92-89		6-1	L, 114-89
2002-03		9-1	W, 92-88		7-0	W, 103-100
2003-04		6-1	W, 101-80		13-0	W, 105-98
2004-05		5-1	W, 101-80		8-0	W, 102-100
2005-06		8-1	W, 93-88		8-1	L, 105-97
2006-07		6-1	W, 95-86		8-1	L, 103-100
Totals		122-20	13-6			123-12	11-8

Cooksey's Year-by-Year Postseason Record

	- Indoor -	- Outdoor -
Year	IC4A	NCAA	IC4A 	Reg'l	NCAA
1989	6th	49th 	14th	---	---
1990	DNS	---	13th	---	---
1991	DNS	41st	12th	---	DNS
1992	25th	42nd	25th	---	50th
1993	7th	41st	4th	---	59th
1994	12th	---	17th	---	---
1995	42nd	---	35th	---	---
1996	19th	---	31st	---	DNS
1997	4th	64th	DNS	---	DNS
1998	8th	DNS	24th	---	DNS
1999	13th	DNS	13th	---	---
2000	21st	---	15th	---	DNS
2001	DNS	---	20th	---	---
2002	13th	---	9th	---	---
2003	DNS	---	34th	DNS	---
2004	15th	44th	14th	40th	DNS
2005	22nd	---	19th	DNS	---
2006	9th	---	38th	42nd	DNS
2007	41st	51st	23rd	42nd	DNS

11 All-Americans Under Cooksey

• Charles Bailey: 35-lb. Weight Throw (1989)
• Matt Howard: 35-lb. Weight Throw (1990 & `91)
• Robert Sehnert: Shot Put (1991)
• Greg Keller: Mile (1992 & `93), 3,000m Steeplechase (1992 & `93)
• Todd Washburn: 5,000m - Indoor (1993), 5,000m - Outdoor (1993)
• Stan Duplaga: Javelin Throw (1993)
• Jon Clemens: 3,000m Steeplechase (1997)
• John Mentzer: 5,000m - Indoor (1997), 10,000m (1997 & `98)
• Michael Ryan: Mile (1999)
• Erik Schmidt: Mile (2004)
• Paul Harris: 800m - Indoor (2007)