Coaches

Keith Cooper

Head Coach Keith Cooper is entering his seventh season with the Cavaliers. Coach Cooper has posted career record of 160-93-1 at KCC. Cooper has been awarded two NJCAA Div. II Region 4 District C Coach of the Year awards. Under Cooper’s guidance, KCC has won two NJCAA Div. II Region 4 Championships and the team has been in the Region Final Four every season except for 2020 (due to COVID). During Cooper’s tenure, 20 softball players have attained NJCAA Academic All-American status, and the entire team has earned the NJCAA Academic All-American Team award twice.


Before becoming KCC’s head coach, Cooper was a community leader and coach of youth sports at various levels for 23 years. He held multiple positions on local league boards of directors, and was president of the Kankakee Knights of Columbus Little League, Knights of Columbus Bronco League, Kankakee Elks Pony League, and the Kankakee Valley Colt and Palomino League.


Cooper’s involvement as a coach has taken him to many tournaments at Illinois State University in Normal; Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; and three State Fast Pitch Softball Tournaments in National Softball Association in Illinois.


Prior to becoming the head coach for Lady Cavs softball, he assisted with the KCC Women’s Basketball team as official scorekeeper for home games and often traveled with the team.


Coach Cooper was born in Kankakee, raised in Limestone, and graduated from Kankakee High School in 1990. He is a former KCC student, where he studied Law Enforcement. Cooper worked for AT&T for 18 years.


He and his wife, Lisa, reside in Kankakee. They have four children and nine grandchildren.