Mike Cook has been with the Central Oklahoma soccer program since its inception and has built the Bronchos into a perennial NCAA Division II contender, reaching the NCAA Tournament 15 times in 23 seasons of play.
The dean of the UCO coaching staff, Cook came to Edmond when the school started the program in 1998 and has guided the Bronchos to an amazing 347-129-40 record over the past 24 years. He has a 29-year women’s record of 435-151-41, ranking among the Division II coaching leaders in all-time wins and winning percentage (.728).
Mike has led UCO to 15 national playoff appearances since 2000, with the Bronchos winning six regular-season titles and five tournament crowns during their tenure in the Lone Star Conference. Cook earned LSC Coach of the Year accolades six times and was named Midwest Regional Coach of the Year twice.
Cook won his first Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season and postseason tournament titles in 2018 and was also named MIAA Coach of the Year and Central Region Coach of the Year. He followed that up with a second MIAA postseason championship in 2019 and another conference title in 2021 (UCO played a modified spring season in '21 after the 2020 fall season was canceled due to the pandemic). Although the wins and losses were not official in 2021, Central still made the postseason tournament and won it all for a third season in a row.
He's coached 71 players to all-conference selections a combined 125 times, 48 players to all-region honors a combined 84 times, and 11 players to All-American status a combined 12 times during his highly-successful UCO tenure.
UCO went 11-5-4 in 2022 and finished fifth in the MIAA regular season. The Bronchos were ousted from the postseason in the first round, but still carried a resume worth of an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. Central lost in the first round there. UCO had six All-MIAA selections and two All-Region picks.
Central Oklahoma posted a 13-5-3 record in 2021, playing an official Fall season for the first time since before the pandemic. The Bronchos finished fourth in the MIAA regular season standings, won their conference championship quarterfinal matchup, and reached the semifinals before falling there. UCO also received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. The Bronchos tied Bemidji State in the first round before losing on penalties and ending their season there.
The Bronchos went 14-5-3 in 2019, earning the fourth-seed in the MIAA tournament. The Bronchos won their opening-round game in Edmond before going to Warrensburg, Mo. and knocking off top-seeded host Central Missouri in the semifinals. UCO then tied Northeastern State 1-1 in the championship before winning a penalty shootout 3-1 to take its second consecutive MIAA postseason tournament championship.
2018 might be the most successful season in Central's history. Cook led the Bronchos to a 22-2 season, finishing its historic season in the NCAA Championship Round of 16. The Bronchos set a new school record most wins in one season (22), most wins to start a season (16) and longest win streak in school history (16). The Bronchos had eight players earn All-MIAA honors, seven players All-Region, and three (also a school record) earn All-American honors in one season. UCO also posted 14 shutouts, one shy of the school record.
UCO was 11-9 in its first year of varsity competition in 1998, then went 13-5-1 in 1999 while breaking into the Division II top 20 rankings during the season.
The Bronchos had a breakthrough season in 2000, finishing 20-3 in winning both the regular season and league tournament titles. UCO made its first national playoff appearance, beating Mesa State before falling to eventual champion UC San Diego in the quarterfinals.
UCO followed that with a 15-6 league runner-up campaign in 2001, then tied for the regular season conference crown and won the LSC Tournament in 2002 before falling to Metropolitan State in the national tournament to finish 20-3.
The Bronchos made a repeat national tournament appearance in 2003 in finishing 15-5-2, then went 13-6-2 and won the league title in 2004.
Cook led the Bronchos to a 16-3-2 record and second consecutive LSC crown in 2005, with UCO losing a shootout in the playoffs.
It was more of the same in 2006 as the Bronchos captured a third straight regular-season league championship before falling in a shootout in the national tournament to finish 18-3-1.
UCO claimed a fourth consecutive LSC regular-season title and made its longest Division II playoff run in 2007, winning two games to advance to the Sweet 16 before losing to St. Edward’s in the Midwest Regional finals to end a 19-5-1 campaign.
The Bronchos had a lengthy league winning streak snapped in 2008 in having their four-year string of LSC titles ended and ended up finished 13-6-3.
UCO bounced back in 2009, finishing 14-6-3 and winning the LSC Tournament title in a shootout to earn a national tournament berth before losing a shootout in the first round of the regional.
The Bronchos went 11-8-1 in 2010 and started 0-3 in 2011 before winning a school-record 15 games in a row to qualify for the national playoffs despite playing an independent schedule. UCO hosted one of the South Central Regional tournaments and received a first-round bye before dropping a tough 1-0 decision to Dallas Baptist in the second round.
Central joined the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2012 and Cook led the Bronchos to a runner-up finish and a second straight national tournament appearance. UCO won its first-round playoff game before falling 1-0 in the second round in finishing the season 16-3-3.
The Bronchos went 9-10-2 during an injury-plagued 2013 season, pulling off two upsets in the MIAA Tournament to make the finals before losing in overtime.
UCO got back on track in 2014, returning to the national tournament and winning a first-round game en route to a 14-5-3 finish. The Bronchos went 12-5-3 and finished as MIAA runners-up in 2015.
Cook had his team back in the national playoffs in 2016, with UCO making it to the second round before being eliminated. The Bronchos went 15-7-1 and handed Central Missouri its lone regular season loss before falling to the Jennies in the MIAA Tournament finals and again in the national tournament.
Central had just its second losing season in 20 years in 2017, going 7-10-2.
Mike came to UCO after a highly-successful tenure at Southern Nazarene. He started his career as an assistant coach for the SNU men’s team from 1987-92 before taking over head coaching duties for both the men’s and women’s teams in 1993.
He had a combined record of 146-66-3 in five years at the helm of both programs, going 88-22-1 with the women and 58-44-2 with the men.
Cook directed the women’s team to a pair of Southwest Regional championships and took the 1995 and ‘96 teams to the NAIA National Championships, finishing third both years. He was a three-time District 9 and NAIA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year selection at SNU.
Cook also enjoyed great success as a player, both at SNU and in the professional ranks. He was a two-time All-District 9 and All-Southwest Region performer for the Redskins and played professional, and semi-professional soccer for nine years, getting inducted into the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame in 2006.
Mike, a native of Toronto, Canada, received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SNU. Cook is married (Sandy) and has two children (Cody and Taylor) and one grandson (Karsten).
