Career
He was born in Zhdanov, Soviet Union, which is now known as Mariupol and is part of Ukraine. In 1975 he graduated from the Odessa State Pedagogical Institute of Ushynsky and later the Moscow Higher School of Coaches. Prokopenko was the first ever manager of the Ukraine national football team
Prokopenko also authored Flexibility, Strength, Endurance, a popular book on stretching.
He died in Odessa after a heart attack. Prokopenko was 62 years old.