For those that haven't read this - this is the brief bio from the ND Rivals site. Another Iowa safety on the staff. A lot of people on this board also wanting us to do a better job recruiting in Dallas. Well, here's the guy that can help get that done.
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Upon accepting the Notre Dame head coaching job in December 2009, Brian Kelly hired Cooks from the University of Wisconsin to be his outside linebackers coach. The following year Cooks moved to the defensive backfield - where he was a former All-Big Ten safety at Iowa and played in the NFL - to instruct the cornerbacks. In 2012-13 he was named co-defensive coordinator to Bob Diaco (who became head coach at Connecticut last season) and in 2014, with Brian VanGorder hired as the new defensive coordinator, Cooks was tabbed to handle the entire secondary but no longer had the co-coordinator title.
Last winter, Rivals.com named Cooks and Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand among its top 25 recruiters in the country. The recognition for Cooks came on the strength of Notre Dame signing three players from Texas, lineman Grant Blankenship, linebacker Kolin Hill and cornerback Nick Watkins.
"We got three players from Texas, all of them offered by the University of Texas," said Kelly on 2014 Signing Day. "I don't know if that happens very often, but we're very fortunate and it's a great area for us."
