Cooper will take over from current coach Dave Rennie, who is heading to Scotland after being with the Chiefs since 2012.
Cooper coached the Hurricanes from 2003 to 2011, making the Super Rugby final in 2006, while having also won the NPC with Taranaki in 2014 and defending the Ranfurly Shield seven times. In 2013 he took over the New Zealand Maori team, which he still coaches.
He has big shoes to fill, with Rennie's time with the Chiefs being the most successful in the franchise's history. It won back-to-back titles in his first two years and has been a playoff team in each of the three years since.
Cooper was looking forward to being involved with Super Rugby again.
"To be involved in coaching Super Rugby again within the ambitious and innovative setup at the Chiefs is exciting and to have the opportunity to develop young players and coaches for the future of New Zealand rugby is something I'm very passionate about," Cooper said.
"I strongly believe that establishing a cohesive team culture where our people are constantly striving to become better people as well as better players, coaches and administrators is the only way to create meaningful long-term success. I'm excited by what's to come in the near future beginning with the Maori All Blacks and Taranaki in 2017, and then launching into a new era with the Gallagher Chiefs in 2018."