Georgetown has hired former Providence head coach Ed Cooley to be their men’s basketball coach, the school announced Monday (March 20).
Welcome to The District Ed Cooley! 👏 🎉#HoyaSaxa
🗞: https://t.co/aVa0WGJ94d pic.twitter.com/tfDyzQltS8
— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) March 20, 2023
Cooley, Rhode Island native, leaves his hometown team to try and revitalize the historic Georgetown basketball program, which had a combined 13-50 record the past two seasons that included a 29-game conference losing streak. These results led to the firing of coach Patrick Ewing on March 9, the most decorated player in program history who finished with a head coaching record of 75-109 (.408), the lowest winning percentage for a coach in the modern era of the program.
If anyone is able to turn around a program that has won a national championship and made it to five Final Fours, it’s Cooley. After a successful six years at Fairfield, Cooley became the Providence head coach in 2011, leading the team to seven NCAA tournaments in his 12 years. They reached the Sweet 16 in 2022, the same year they won their first-ever Big East regular season title and Cooley was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year. Before Cooley, Providence had made just two tourney appearances since the start of the century, finishing under .500 in six of the previous ten seasons.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Georgetown University,” Cooley said in the school’s announcement. “I plan on hitting the ground running, getting to work on the court and cultivating relationships in and around the District. Accepting this opportunity with Georgetown is not a decision I took lightly, and was made in careful consideration with my wife and family.”
Georgetown is able to offer Ed Cooley in neighborhood of $6 million per year, per source. Beyond $: For Cooley, following in footsteps of John Thompson, and the resources committed/brand of the Hoyas has been appealing.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 20, 2023
This season, Providence started 14-3 overall and 6-0 in conference play before struggling down the stretch, finishing 21-12 (13-7) and losing to Kentucky 61-53 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, Cooley leaves the Friars for a Big East rival, which may not be well-received by the fan base he helped build at his previous school.
Providence said it will begin the search for a new head coach immediately, with Penn State‘s Micah Shrewsberry and George Mason‘s Kim English expected to be at the top of the hiring list.
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