Promotion Potential: Should the Tampa Bay Lightning tenure of new coach Jon Cooper go well, he may have a fortuitous marketing opportunity. Cooper, 46, is no hockey-lifer-jock sort. He has a business degree from Hofstra University and a law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan. He practiced law before switching to pro hockey in 2003.
Cooley, which is one of the largest law schools in the country, recently opened a campus–its first outside Michigan–in Riverview. Cooley–known for its open admissions and diverse student bodies–has particular appeal to aspiring, non-tradition students looking to change course.
Now one of their own is head coach of a feisty franchise in need of a turn-around in a non-traditional hockey market. Stay tuned.