Cooper Manning

Senior Associate Director

Cooper, the oldest of the three Manning brothers, has earned national recognition for his humor and wit as host of "The Manning Hour" on Fox NFL Sunday. His experience in high school, college and professional sports has made him a natural fit in the broadcast booth and he has hosted and/or co-hosted numerous projects over the years, including both television and radio shows during football season on WWL in New Orleans.

College Career

Cooper was heavily recruited by Division I schools, including University of Texas, Virginia, and Ole Miss, before deciding to attend his father's alma mater (Ole Miss) on a football scholarship. A career-ending injury forced the Rebel receiver to the sidelines, but his love for the game has never diminished.

High School

He was a two-time All-State wide receiver at Isidore Newman and played in the Louisiana High School All-Star Game as well as played on two state championship basketball teams.

Business and Community

He is currently a principal at AJ Capital Partners, a vertically integrated real estate development and investment firm. As senior managing director, Cooper focuses on business development and investor relations. In 2014, AJ Capital launched the Graduate hotels brand, a hand-crafted collection of hotels in university-anchored markets across the country, and currently have 35 locations across the U.S. and U.K.

Prior to joining AJ Capital Partners, he worked in institutional equity sales with Howard Weil in New Orleans, specializing in the oil and gas business. During his 16 years at Howard Weil, he was integral in positing the company as a leader in the energy sector. He was involved in the sale of Howard Weil to Scotia Bank in 2012 and remained on through the transition as a partner.

Cooper is a board member at The Idea Village and is actively involved with The Academy of Sacred Heart, his alma mater Isidore Newman School and the Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.

A University of Mississippi graduate, He lives in New Orleans with his wife and three children.