Cooley began his coaching career at Southside High School in
Heidelberg, Mississippi, where he worked for seven years. From 1971 to 1973 he was a linebacker and defensive line coach at
Alcorn State University. Cooley moved to
Tennessee State University in 1974 as a linebacker coach. The success Cooley achieved at Mississippi Valley State is attributed to his design of his innovative "Satellite Express" passing offense, which was a
no huddle offense featuring five wide receivers. Cooley led the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils to their only Division I-AA playoff appearance in 1984. The
1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team set different passing, receiving, and scoring records that featured
Jerry Rice and quarterback
Willie Totten. To this day, Cooley is the winningest coach in the history of the Delta Devil football program. He also served as an associate professor of physical education at Mississippi Valley State. In 1987 Cooley moved on to
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which was then an
NAIA member before the school moved up to the
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the 1990s. He coached there for four years, from 1987 to 1990, and served as athletic director and associate professor. In 1993, Cooley was hired as head coach at
Norfolk State University, where he stayed for only one year. After a long hiatus from the coaching scene, Cooley returned when he became head coach at
Paul Quinn College located in
Dallas. Paul Quinn was an NAIA member school which was then establishing a new football program, and Cooley was responsible for starting the program from the ground up. He served as head coach from 2000 to 2006. The school was experiencing financial and accreditation issues and its administration decided to drop the football program after the 2006 season. In 2007, Cooley was inducted into the
Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. ==Death==