Harper Cole was a three-year varsity letter winner for Waubonsie Valley football. As a starting wide receiver and defensive back, he played a major part in leading the Warriors to a 7-4 record and a first-round upset over Bollingbrook in 2018. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
Harper Cole chases a lifelong dream to be an Arkansas Razorback
Despite his athleticism and strong production for the Warriors, few College recruiters came knocking for the 5’9” pass catcher. Undeterred by the obstacles, Harper stayed laser-focused on pursuing his dream school.
“I had a couple of smaller offers, some D3 schools,” said Cole. “You know, I grew up a big Arkansas fan, my whole family’s from there. So, that was always kind of like my dream–to go over there and play.”
With his family roots from Arkansas, Cole had a lifelong dream of playing for the Razorbacks. Even without a scholarship, he was determined to one day wear an Arkansas uniform, hoping for a shot at a walk-on opportunity.
“I had gone to camp up there my junior year (of high school), and had a personal connection with one of the coaches,” said Cole. “ They reached out after my senior year, and I said I would do anything to get a chance to play up there. I was fortunate enough that they were willing to give me an opportunity.”
The moment hard work turned into a scholarship
During his first two seasons, Cole worked tirelessly as a walk-on to earn playing time, eventually seeing action in seven games. The dedication paid off in the spring of 2022, when Razorback coaches recognized his commitment and awarded him a full scholarship.
“Special moment for sure,” said Cole. “Coach Pittman was a guy who was kind of always fighting for me. I think he knew how much I loved the program in general.”
Cole’s role expanded later that fall, appearing in 12 games, and during the Liberty Bowl against Kansas, he made his first career reception and recovered a fumble on a kickoff.
“My last game, my whole family had come down and we ended up winning a crazy overtime game, and that was really cool,” said Cole. “I got a chance to start on offense, so that was special for me too, and I made a couple of plays in that one.”
Cole spent his final year at Arkansas as a student assistant coach before graduating with a degree in business management in 2023.
“I think anytime you have a chance to be around young kids and especially guys that are going through the same thing you did, I think that piece of coaching is special,” said Cole. “To try and coach those guys through experiences that you’ve had. So, I think that was a huge piece of me wanting to be a coach.”
Cole takes his passion back to Illinois with the Fighting Illini
Cole then spent two years coaching running backs at Texas Christian University (TCU). This spring, he marked a homecoming, accepting a position as an offensive skill and special teams coach at the University of Illinois.
“I’ve lived in the state, and I think there are good players in the state, and I want to do everything I can to help keep those players at Illinois,” said Cole. “If we can do that, we’re going to win a bunch of football games”
Illinois and head coach Bret Bielema are building on the program’s first 10-win season since 2001, and Cole joins an Illini team with high expectations.
As the Waubonsie alum continues his coaching career, he aims to leave a lasting impact on every athlete he coaches.
“The most rewarding piece is just getting to sit down with the kid to talk and teach them, I love that aspect of coaching,” said Harper Cole. “You know, how we want to do things, why we do it a certain way. That’s kind of the art of coaching to me.”
For more prep sports stories and highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.