To p p e r C o g a n As s i s tan t C oa c h ( 2n d S e as o n at L amar ) Topper Cogan enters his second season as assistant coach at Lamar. Cogan, who came to Lamar after four years as assistant coach at Southland Conference rival Sam Houston State, is in charge of recruiting and goalkeeper instruction for the Cardinals. This past offseason, Cogan served as head coach and general manager of the Texas Strikers of the Professional Arena Soccer League. At Sam Houston State University, where he spent four seasons as assistant coach. In his four years with the Bearkats, he helped the team qualify for the conference tournament on three occasions and set a single-season school record for wins. Before his time at Sam Houston State, Cogan was the assistant women's soccer coach at Angelo State for two seasons. Before Angelo State, he was the goalkeeper coach at Texas Tech for four seasons after spending three seasons at Texas Tech as an assistant coach. Cogan played collegiate soccer at Miami of Ohio and Houston Baptist. At Houston Baptist, he set school records for career shutouts, consecutive shutouts and career goals-against average.
Cogan played professionally for four years in Houston and Mexico. He returned to his hometown to play for the Lubbock Lazers of the Southern Indoor Soccer League. He spent 10 years with the Lazers, eventually achieving the ranks of co-head coach and general manager. He was co-head coach and GM of the Lubbock Sand Devils of the Premier Arena Soccer League for one season. Cogan earned his bachelor's degree with a major in psychology and a minor in health from Texas Tech in 1997. He earned a master's degree in psychology from Texas Tech in 2005. Cogan and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Catherine and Stephanie.
20