Men's Tennis | 9/30/2022 1:39:00 PM

Phil Cooper spent his first months at Wichita State battling homesickness. Before returning to England for Christmas break, he cleaned out his dorm room and reserved a spot at a university in his home country.
 
"I was pretty certain I was not going to come back," he said. "Through a lot of reflection and conversations I, thankfully, decided to get back on that plane and come back for the next semester."
 
That decision preserved one of Wichita State's best eras of tennis with Cooper playing a lead role. The Shockers won two Missouri Valley Conference titles and appeared in two NCAA Tournaments from 1993-97. Cooper added two individual NCAA appearances, in addition to other individual accomplishments, to that history.
 
While at home over Christmas, he talked with teammates, such as Simon Cornish, and Bev (Swerdon) Cooper, his future wife. Although they were not dating at the time, she was one of his first friends at Wichita State. When he returned to Wichita State, he said people such as academic advisor Trudy Lakins and Gretchen Torline and Dr. Greg Buell helped him get comfortable, as did coach Bill Nichols.
 
On the court in 1994, the Shockers added Cooper to an experienced group, won the MVC title and qualified for NCAA play for the first time since 1984. Cooper earned Region V Newcomer of the Year honors and won No. 1 singles in the MVC. The Shockers returned to NCAA play in 1996 and won the MVC in 1997.
 
"That freshman year was a crazy, crazy experience," he said. "It was a fabulous, fabulous four years. I wouldn't trade it for the world."
 
At Wichita State: Cooper, a member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1994 and 1996. In 1996, he defeated top-seeded Justin Gimelstob of UCLA and New Mexico's Scott Treibly to advance to the round of 16 and earn NCAA All-American honors.
 
Cooper also won the Missouri Valley Conference title at No. 1 singles in 1994 and helped the Shockers to MVC titles in 1994 and 1997. He ranks third in singles wins at WSU with 103 and his 22-7 record in 1996-97 ranks first for single-season wins.
 
Update us on your current location and life status: 
 
After leaving Wichita, my wife Bev Cooper, (Swerdon, a 1997 WSU graduate) have lived in Canada, the United States and England. We settled in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. We have two boys, Tyler (21) & Matthew (20). They are both living their dreams of playing NCAA athletics, one in ice hockey and the other in golf.
 
My professional career took me into recruitment industry, and I currently help run and manage a recruitment software company. 
 
What was your major at Wichita State? 
 
Electronic media - I wanted to be the anchor on ESPN! 
 
Why did you choose Wichita State? 
 
A good friend of mine, Simon Cornish, was on the tennis team and helped guide me towards the school and the tennis program. He introduced me to Coach Bill Nichols and I made a decision to attend WSU two weeks prior to the semester starting. 
 
Besides the sport you played as a Shocker, what was your favorite sport? 
 
English football growing up. Golf now. 
 
Who was your favorite professor at Wichita State? 
 
Dr. (John) Dreifort. He was the most helpful professor and truly understood the challenges of a student-athlete. I would be remiss if I did not mention Trudy Lakin. This special lady was a mentor, guardian and friend to so many. Her door was always open.
 
Which teammate helped your adjustment to college life?

I owe a lot to Simon Cornish. As a fellow Brit, he became my big brother and helped me through so many challenges. We went on to work for the same company after college for 22 years together and he is still there today. Cary Weingust and Shaun Harrop were such great teammates during our college years and we remain very close to this day.
 
What are your favorite memories from college athletics? 
 
I have so many! The team aspect was above and beyond my favorite.
 
From the first time we won the MVC team title, to watching my teammates win all-conference honors, they were all simply rewarding.  The moments when we beat Tulsa, Drake or Indiana State in a closely contested battle were just so memorable.
 
Nothing better than a celebratory drink at the Field House after one of those team victories. 
 
What advice would you give to a person starting their athletics career in college? 
 
Give it time and be patient. College is four-to-five years long, so enjoy it, work hard and make friends for life. Leave it all out there and have no regrets. But most of all, have a blast. These memories will be for life. 
 
What book you would recommend to current college students? 
 
"How to Win Friends and Influence People," by Dale Carnegie
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. "Catching up" is a regular feature highlighting former Shockers. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.