Ed Cooley has left Providence to become the next head coach at Georgetown, both programs announced Monday.
Cooley, 53, just completed his 12th season at Providence. His Friars were bounced from the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky in the first round. It was the Friars’ seventh trip to the tournament under Cooley.
“I deeply appreciate Coach Cooley’s immense contributions to the men’s basketball program and to the PC community over the past 12 years,” the Rev. Kenneth Sicard, Providence’s president, said in a statement. “Friar fans everywhere will be forever grateful for this period of sustained excellence in our program, and I personally will continue to have the highest regard for Ed.”
And that respect for Cooley was clear at Georgetown, too.
“We are deeply honored that Coach Cooley will be joining our community as the next leader of our Men’s basketball program,” Georgetown president John J. DeGioia said in a statement. “Ed is a proven leader and an experienced coach, whose values and knowledge of the game will lead our program into this new chapter. His commitment to excellence on and off the court will bring out the best of our basketball program and will give each member of our team the experiences and support they need to thrive.”
Cooley was 242-153 at Providence and is 334-222 overall in 17 seasons as a head coach. He led Fairfield from 2006-11 before taking the Providence job in 2011.
Cooley replaces Patrick Ewing, who was fired earlier this month after six seasons at his alma mater.
The Hoyas went 7-25 (2-18 Big East) in Ewing’s final season in charge. The program was a combined 75-109 under Ewing, making the NCAA Tournament just once — when Georgetown completed an improbable run through the 2021 Big East tournament as the No. 8 seed to earn the league’s automatic bid.
Meanwhile, Providence said its national search for a successor to Cooley will begin immediately.
Cooley is a native of Providence but said he is excited to get started at Georgetown. His daughter, Olivia, is a Georgetown student.
“I plan on hitting the ground running, getting to work on the court and cultivating relationships in and around the District,” he said. “Accepting this opportunity with Georgetown is not a decision I took lightly.”
Cooley’s move left immediate aftershocks in Providence. Starting guard Jared Bynum, who has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, entered the transfer portal, multiple reports said Monday afternoon. Bynum has career averages of 10.3 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
–Field Level Media
