High School

Cooper DeJean makes push for Iowa basketball to sign Storm Lake’s Jaidyn Coon

NFL star, former Hawkeye Cooper DeJean pushes for Iowa to sign top basketball prospect Jaidyn Coon

Dana Becker

Jaidyn Coon was recently visited by new Iowa head basketball coach Ben McCollum.
Jaidyn Coon was recently visited by new Iowa head basketball coach Ben McCollum. / Bryon Houlgrave/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Roughly a year ago at this time, Cooper DeJean was waiting to hear his name called in the NFL Draft. Now, the Super Bowl champion for the Philadelphia Eagles is playing recruiter for his alma mater.

DeJean, who shined for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team before being selected by the Eagles, took to social media to make ask new Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum to get a commitment from one of the top prospects in the state.

Storm Lake junior Jaidyn Coon is being courted by several schools, including the Hawkeyes. McCollum, a native of Storm Lake who played for Storm Lake St. Mary’s, was recently in town to visit with Coon and his family.

“NW Iowa to The University of Iowa make it happen,” DeJean posted with a picture of McCollum and Coon together.

Coon, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward, helped lead Storm Lake to the state basketball tournament this past winter. He averaged 24 points per game on 56 percent shooting, adding 9.3 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots per game.

Along with Iowa having offered, Coon has also received offers from Iowa State, Creighton, Drake, Illinois, Nebraska, Northern Iowa and TCU.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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