The cooling of working rolls is a critical factor of the hot rolling process, to limit roll surface wear and to control roll thermal deformation. An inverse heat conduction approach and an experimental method for measurement of heat transfer coefficient are presented. Heat transfer in the sprayed area is dependent on a large number of factors, such as surface temperature, roll velocity, local pressure, coolant jets inclination and interference of multiple sprays. The experimental approach is the only reliable method to get a precise description of the cooling of industrial working rolls.