David Cooney, who has been on the Miami Hurricanes staff under Mark Richt, Manny Diaz and Mario Cristobal since 2017, is leaving to become the wide receivers coach at Bowling Green per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports. Cooney was the Miami director of recruiting for three years before being a wide receivers analyst for the last two years.
Cooney helped Miami have one of the deepest WR corps nationally in 2024. Xavier Restrepo set multiple Miami career and single-season records in 2023 and 2024. Jacolby George had 110 receptions for 1,616 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in the last two seasons.
Former Miami General Manager Alonzo Highsmith posted on X, "So happy for David Cooney because he’s going to do a great job! His time has come to lead young men." Highsmith was the Miami General Manager in 2022 and 2023. As the Miami director of recruiting, Cooney would have worked closely with Highsmith.
Bowling Green faces a big transition year in their passing game in 2025. Star tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who led the nation in receptions and receiving yards, left for the NFL Draft. Bowling Green is projected to return second-leading receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr., who had 49 receptions for 569 yards and three TDs in 2024.
Miami analyst David Cooney is expected to be hired as the new wide receivers coach at Bowling Green, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 17, 2025
Had worked at Miami since 2017, including three years as director of recruiting before spending the last two years as wide receivers analyst.… pic.twitter.com/qbpP1RfeuS
Cooney leaves behind a legacy at Miami and a WR corps that lost its top six receivers from 2024. Rising sophomore JoJo Trader had three receptions for 61 yards and a TD in the 42-41 loss to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. There are several other young WRs on the Miami roster with a chance to step into bigger roles in 2025.
Miami also added former LSU WR C.J. Daniels as a transfer for 2025. Six four-star WRs signed with Miami in the past two classes. Cooney is likely to have contributed to that with his history being the Miami director of recruiting and working with the WRs. Cooney now gets a chance to be a position coach at Bowling Green.