Rick Minter was a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1979 when he went to interview for his first full-time job — as linebackers coach for then-Tulsa coach John Cooper. Before he left, Arkansas coach Lou Holtz warned Minter not to give away any of the Razorbacks' secrets. “Be careful what you say,” Holtz told him.

        Minter, the University of Cincinnati coach, tells the story of his meeting with Cooper and his staff:

        “I get up to the board and he starts asking me specific questions about defense, and I get to a point and I say, "You know, I really just can't say anything about that.' Every time he'd come up with a question, I'd say, "You know coach, I just can't tell you.'

        “Well, why in the world would he want to hire me? I didn't let him know I knew anything. John and I laugh about that to this day.”

        Minter was answering questions Tuesday about Ohio State's firing of Cooper, whose teams went 111-43-4 in 13 years.

        “I'd trade records with him in a heartbeat,” Minter said.

        Cooper's downfall was his 2-10-1 record against rival Michigan and his 3-8 record in bowl games, including Monday's 24-7 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

        Had the players who left early for the NFL stayed, perhaps they would have made a difference against Michigan, Minter said.

        “Somewhere along the way, you do have to beat your rivals,” Minter said. “That's part of the business. But it's an unfortunate day ... I've got great feelings for John Cooper. He's a great man. I'm sure his fitting in in the Buckeye state was probably questioned from the beginning, but overall he's done a great job.

        “I guess in this case the people have spoken. We're living in an age where the pressure to win and satisfying everybody is hard to do. There's a level of expectation, and when people are willing to pay and put their money up there and say we want to be the best, that's their right, I guess.”

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