Lashanda-Smith Cooper hired as RHS girls basketball coach

Ruston High School is hiring a proven champion to take over its girls basketball program.

Lashanda-Smith Cooper, who turned the Northwood-Lena Lady Gators into a powerhouse, accepted the girls basketball head coaching position at Ruston Friday morning, RHS Principal Dan Gressett confirmed.

Cooper takes over for previous head coach Meredith Graf.

"We are thrilled to have coach Cooper on board," Gressett said. "She's a very successful coach, having won a couple of championships in the last few years. We had a good idea of what we were looking for and after meeting with her Wednesday we knew we had found our next head coach. She is very respected throughout the state, and we feel like one of the top basketball coaches in the state. We are fortunate to get her and can't wait for her to get started. She will be a great fit and a great addition to Ruston High School."

Since becoming head coach at Northwood in 2018, Cooper not only took the school to its first ever state championship appearance in 2021 but delivered the school its first state title in 2022.

After being named 2022 LSWA Class 1A Coach of the Year, Cooper led Northwood to another state championship in the 2022-23 season. Northwood has made the state championship in each of the last four seasons. Northwood has been a two-seed or better in the last three postseasons as well.