TRENT COOPER
8x Emmy-Winning Sports DocUMENTARY Director
#FREETEZ [2024 NFL Draft] Tez Walker transfers to North Carolina to be closer to his ailing grandmother and finds himself in an NCAA controversy that ignites a national movement. [Directed by Trent Cooper]
Trent Cooper is a visionary filmmaker whose creativity and leadership have left an indelible mark on the world of sports storytelling.
During his seven-year tenure as creative director and showrunner of the NFL's acclaimed documentary series, NFL 360, Cooper's expertise in screenwriting and visual narrative propelled the show to unparalleled heights, earning an industry-leading 42 Sports Emmy nominations and 10 wins in the past four years alone.
At NFL 360, Cooper was the driving force behind many of the show’s most cinematic and impactful moments. That creative prowess was evident in the numerous Emmy-winning pieces that he directed including - WHO IF NOT US (2023), THE GIFT OF GABA (2021), and I AM SHAQUEM GRIFFIN (2019).
In 2024, NFL 360 again led all sports programs with 11 Emmy nominations, and earned wins for a pair of Cooper-directed projects: HEROES, an action-packed short about football players risking their lives to save total strangers, and STILL HERE, a visual essay on the city of Buffalo’s resilience in the face of horrific off-field tragedies.
Alongside his work with NFL 360, additional passion projects include directing and showrunning the Emmy-nominated doc series US AGAINST THE WORLD (2019), and producing Jamie Elias' award-winning documentary FOR WALTER AND JOSIAH (2021).
Beyond individual achievements, Cooper's proudest professional accomplishment lies in his commitment to nurturing emerging talent within the industry. He has mentored a diverse cadre of filmmakers who are reshaping the landscape of sports documentary filmmaking, crafting groundbreaking stories on social justice, Black history, and women breaking barriers in sports and beyond.
heroes
Three football players - Brandon Bair, K.J. Osborne, and Keanon Lowe - risk everything
to save the lives of total strangers. [Directed by Trent Cooper]
2024
emmy
WINNER
still here
2024
emmy
WINNER
Buffalo poet and activist Jillian Hanesworth makes a passionate statement about
a heartbroken community leaning on its football team to help heal from a year of
off-field tragedies. [Co-directed by Trent Cooper & Augustus Clarke]
who if not us
2023 emmy
winner
Members of the Ukrainian League of American Football fight for their freedom on the
frontlines of the war in Ukraine. [Directed by Trent Cooper]
the gift of gaba
2021
emmy
winner
Mo Gaba, an 11-year old terminally ill Ravens fan, changes the city of Baltimore forever. [Directed by Trent Cooper]
i am shaquem griffin
2019
emmy
winner
One-handed linebacker Shaquem Griffin inspires a generation of limb-different athletes. [Directed by Trent Cooper]
NFL 360
42 Emmy
nominations
2021-2024
*INDUSTRY LEADER
The NFL's documentary anthology, known for cinematic and emotional storytelling, exploring themes that are "bigger than football.” [7 Seasons Directed & Showrun by Trent Cooper]
for walter & josiah
2020
portland
film festival
winner
2020
FLORIDA
film festival
winner
2020
BOZEMAN
film festival
winner
Jamie Elias’ award-winning documentary following a Native American high school
baskeball team in the throes of a teen suicide epidemic. [Produced by Trent Cooper]
us against the world
2018
emmy
nominee
An 8-part docuseries following a high school basketball team in rural Kentucky attempting to defend their state championship after the racially charged firing of their head coach. [Directed & Executive Produced by Trent Cooper]
contact
WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR
Reed Zabel | Nir Caspi | Chandler Atterberry
RZabel@wmeagency.com
310.786.4760
