Brian Michael Cooper

July 8, 2010

“Due to a desire to move home to Houston and spend more time with my wife and young daughter, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to resign as President of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, effective August 1. We already have a succession plan in place, and details of that plan will be announced at a press conference on July 22 at the Vipers Pro-Shop at Uptown Plaza in McAllen.

“I have very much enjoyed my time with the Vipers and I am very thankful to the Vipers’ ownership group, headed up by Alonzo Cantu, for the opportunity to be involved with a championship franchise both on and off the court. The Vipers staff is second to none, and I am certain their hard work will continue to pay dividends in the future.

“I also would like to thank all of the fans, corporate partners, civic leaders and everyone else who has supported the Vipers since our inception. None of our present success would have been possible without you, and you are critical to the team’s continued success. The memory that I will keep with me for the rest of my life is the reaction of the capacity crowd roaring to its feet when Craig Winder hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to clinch the NBA D-League title.”

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are the NBA Development League affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets. The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2009-10 season, the league featured 16 teams – including the debut of the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor, while a new team, the Texas Legends, will join the League for the 2010-11 season. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.