Don Cooper, World Series-Winning White Sox Pitching Coach, Dies at 70
Cooper spent 33 years with the Chicago White Sox organization, including 18 years as the major league pitching coach.
Don Cooper, a beloved pitching coach who was part of the staff that led the Chicago White Sox to their 2005 World Series victory, has died. He was 70.
Cooper's family announced his death Tuesday in a Facebook post, stating he passed away peacefully in Brentwood, Tennessee. He had been with the White Sox organization for 33 years, including 18 seasons as the major league pitching coach.
"His fierce passion for baseball, and the coaches and players around him, brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments," the family's statement read. "This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones."
Born in New York, Cooper attended Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School and then played baseball and basketball at the New York Institute of Technology. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft and later made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1981. Cooper also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees during his playing career.
He began his coaching tenure with the White Sox organization in 1987 and was elevated to major league pitching coach for the 2000 season. Under his guidance, the White Sox pitching staff achieved significant success, most notably during their championship run in 2005. That postseason, the team's pitchers recorded four consecutive complete-game victories in the American League Championship Series, a feat not seen in the playoffs since the 1928 Yankees.
Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who led the team during the 2005 championship season, shared his condolences on X. "Coop was one of a kind and taught me so much about pitchers, pitching, and their mindset," Guillen wrote. "Always a close friend to my kids and family. Thank you for everything, Coop. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace."
Cooper's tenure with the White Sox concluded when he was relieved of his coaching duties in 2020.