Brett Cooley
Assistant Baseball Coach – Mount Marty University
Brett Cooley brings an extensive playing and professional baseball background to the Mount Marty University baseball coaching staff. A native of Texas and a standout at every level of the game, Cooley’s career includes All-American honors, multiple professional stints, and recognition among some of the top hitters in collegiate and summer league baseball.
A graduate of Westwood High School (Austin, TX), Cooley was a Baseball Factory All-American before continuing his career at the collegiate level. He began at McLennan Community College (2000) and later joined San Jacinto College (2001), helping lead one of the nation’s premier JUCO programs, which held a No. 1 national ranking. During his time at San Jac, Cooley earned All-American honors, was named the Southern District Batting Champion, and received the Rawlings Big Stick Award after posting a .388 average with 16 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Cooley transferred to the University of Houston, where he became one of the program’s most productive hitters. In 2002, he hit .336 with 16 doubles, 18 home runs, and 55 RBIs—ranking second all-time in single-season home runs (18) in Houston history. He earned First Team All-Conference honors, was named to the Mesa Regional All-Tournament Team, and helped the Cougars capture back-to-back regional championships in 2002 and 2003, advancing to Super Regionals against eventual national champions Texas and Rice. Baseball America recognized Cooley for having the Best Raw Power in Conference USA.
During the summer of 2002, Cooley competed in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, where he led the league in home runs under head coach Scott Pickler and was selected as an East Division All-Star third baseman.
Cooley was selected in the MLB Draft three times—by the San Francisco Giants (2002), Montreal Expos (2003), and St. Louis Cardinals (2004)—and made his professional debut with the Johnson City Cardinals in 2004. He later played for the San Angelo Colts in 2005, where he hit .323 with 13 doubles, 6 home runs, and 32 RBIs in 33 games before an injury, and for the Lincoln Saltdogs from 2006–2007. With the Saltdogs, Cooley helped the team capture back-to-back division titles, earned All-Star honors, led the team in home runs both seasons, and was named Saltdogs Player of the Year (2007) and to the Saltdogs All-Decade Team.
In addition to his playing career, Cooley was also the starting pitcher for the University of Houston in 2004 when the Cougars opened Petco Park in San Diego against Tony Gwynn’s San Diego State squad, setting a college baseball attendance record with 40,106 fans.
Cooley’s vast experience—from elite collegiate play and professional baseball to his leadership in player development—brings invaluable knowledge and mentorship to the Lancer baseball program.
