CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – University of Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced that three-time All-American Cory Cooperman will join the Fighting Illini coaching staff as a volunteer assistant and Illini Wrestling Club coach. Cooperman comes to Illinois from Rutgers, where he served as assistant coach from 2009-11. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Cornell from 2006-09.
 
“Cory has an enormous amount of energy, experience and , and will make an immediate impact on our student- athletes,” Heffernan said. “He is exceptional technically and his strengths will enable us to become a more well-rounded team. His goals and focus are to help make Illinois a championship-caliber program.”
 
Cooperman helped guide Rutgers to a school-record 21 dual wins and a No. 9 national ranking in 2010-11. He also saw 165-pounder Scott Winston take home an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title and guided seven Scarlet Knights to NCAA berths, the most since 1960. During Cooperman’s three years at Cornell, the Big Red produced three EIWA and Ivy League team titles, 12 All-Americans and two national champions. As a standout wrestler at Lehigh, Cooperman was a three-time EIWA champion in the 141-pound weight class, won the Southern Scuffle title in 2006 and was an alternate for the 2002 Junior World Team.