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Former ASU head coach named to Rose Bowl Hall of Fame

John Cooper led the Sun Devils to a Rose Bowl victory in 1987.

By Ronald Clark
Stephen Dunn

The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame will induct former Arizona St. Sun Devils and Ohio St. Buckeyes coach John Cooper on Dec. 30, 2012, along with Bob Griese and Ron Yary.

Cooper is the only coach in the history of the Rose Bowl to lead both a Pac-12 and a Big 10 team to victories in the game. He won the Rose Bowl in 1987 with the Sun Devils when they defeated the Michigan Wolverines, 22-15, finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country and he was named National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, Sporting News and the Pac-12 Conference.

He won the Rose Bowl again 10 years later with the Buckeyes in 1997.

Cooper went 25-9-2 in three short but memorable years at the helm of the Sun Devils. His Rose Bowl win is still the only Rose Bowl victory in school history and he won two of his three bowl games while there.