 Cooley in 2018 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Georgetown |
| Conference | Big East |
| Record | 39–51 (.433) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1969-09-10)September 10, 1969 (age 56) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stonehill College (1994) |
| Playing career | |
| 1989–1994 | Stonehill |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1994–1995 | UMass–Dartmouth (assistant) |
| 1995–1996 | Stonehill (assistant) |
| 1996–1997 | Rhode Island (assistant) |
| 1997–2006 | Boston College (assistant) |
| 2006–2011 | Fairfield |
| 2011–2023 | Providence |
| 2023–present | Georgetown |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 373–273 (.577) |
| Tournaments | 3–7 (NCAA Division I) 3–3 (NIT) 1–1 (CBC) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| MAAC Regular Season (2011) Big East Tournament (2014) Big East Regular Season (2022) | |
| Awards | |
| Ben Jobe Award (2010) MAAC Coach of the Year (2011) Big East Coach of the Year (2022) Naismith College Coach of the Year (2022) | |
Edward Anthony Cooley[1] (born September 10, 1969) is an Americancollege basketball coach and currently the head coach of theGeorgetown Hoyas men's basketball program. Cooley held the same position atProvidence College from 2011 to 2023, andFairfield University from 2006 to 2011. In 2022, he received national honors as theNaismith College Coach of the Year. Additionally, he received the inaugural 2010Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award.[2]
Cooley was born on September 10, 1969, inProvidence, Rhode Island, to Jane Cooley and Edward Smith.[3] He was one of nine children by his mother in a family on welfare, living in the low-incomeSouth Providence neighborhood.[4] However, he would later be taken in by neighbors Gloria and Eddie Searight, who provided Cooley with meals and a place to sleep.[3]
At Providence'sCentral High School, Cooley played basketball and twice earned Rhode Island Player of the Year honors. After graduating in 1988, Cooley attended theNew Hampton School inNew Hampton, New Hampshire, for apost-graduate year in 1988–1989.
Cooley was a three-year team captain atStonehill College, and was named to theNortheast-10 Conference academic honor roll. He earned aBachelor of Science degree inhistory from Stonehill in 1994.
Following college, Cooley taught history atBridgewater-Raynham Regional High School in Massachusetts from 1994 to 1996. Meanwhile, Cooley began his coaching career at theUniversity of Massachusetts Dartmouth, spending the 1994–1995 season as an assistant men's basketball coach before returning to Stonehill as an assistant coach in 1995–1996.
In 1996, Cooley joinedAl Skinner's staff as an assistant coach forURI, before following Skinner toBoston College in 1997. In nine seasons as an assistant at BC, Cooley helped the Eagles post a 175–108 overall record, which included five 20-win seasons. The team captured the 2000–01Big East Conference championship, five NCAA tournament berths, and oneNational Invitation Tournament, giving the team six post-season berths in nine seasons.
Cooley earned his first head coaching position in 2006 forFairfield University of theMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference. In five seasons, Cooley's teams posted a 92–69 overall record and 58–32 conference record. In 2009–10, with a 23–11 record, Fairfield advanced to postseason play, setting an NCAA Division I postseason record by overcoming a 27-point halftime deficit to win in overtime overGeorge Mason in the2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Stags were defeated in the quarterfinals of the tournament byCreighton. In2010–11, Cooley's Fairfield squad captured the MAAC regular season championship before falling in the semifinals of the2011 MAAC men's basketball tournament. They were defeated byKent State in the second round of the2011 NIT, finishing with a school-record 25–8 record. Cooley was named MAAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year and was theUSBWA District 1 Coach of the Year.
On March 22, 2011, Cooley returned to his hometown and the Big East, replacingKeno Davis as head coach atProvidence College,[5] becoming the 15th head coach in program history. Cooley began to reinvigorate the program by recruiting six consensus Top 100 recruits in his first three years.
In his first season at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to a 15–17 mark overall, posting an 11–3 mark (8–0 at home) in non-conference action and going 4–14 in the Big East. That season, point guardVincent Council was named third-team All-Big East and forwardLaDontae Henton earned Big East All-Rookie Team accolades.
In his second season, Cooley led the Friars to a 19–15 record overall and a 9–9 mark in league play. Included in the 9–9 Big East record in 2012–13 was a 7–2 mark over the last nine games of the conference season, marking the second best turnaround over second half of the season in Big East history. The Friars played the season with a short roster with transfers Carson Desrosiers and Tyler Harris having to sit out the year per NCAA transfer rules, five star Freshman shooting guard and Providence nativeRicky Ledo sitting our per NCAA eligibility issues, and five star freshman point guardKris Dunn sitting out the first semester with a shoulder injury. Friars freshman guard Josh Fortune was the only incoming player in the 2012–2013 season eligible to compete. Cooley guided the Friars to the NIT where the squad posted a 2–1 record, beatingCharlotte andRobert Morris before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual NIT ChampionBaylor. That season, combo guardBryce Cotton was named first-team All-Big East and Kadeem Batts was recognized as a co-winner of the league's Most Improved Award and earned All-Big East Honorable Mention accolades. After spending one year at Providence without being able to play, Ricky Ledo declared for the2013 NBA draft and was selected by theMinnesota Timberwolves, eventually being traded to theDallas Mavericks.
In his third season at Providence and first season in the reconfigured Big East Conference, Cooley led the Friars to a 10–8 mark in the Big East Conference and finished tied for 3rd withXavier andSt. John's. Transfers Carson Desrosiers and sophomore forward Tyler Harris, were eligible to play their first season in black and white, having sat out the NCAA enforced one-year period. However, in addition to former point guard Vincent Council's graduation and Ricky Ledo entering the draft, Sophomore point guard Kris Dunn faced another shoulder injury and had to sit out almost the entire year as a medicalredshirt, Cleveland State transfer sophomore guard Junior Lamomba had to sit out the NCAA enforced one-year period, and incoming Freshmen Brandon Austin andRodney Bullock were suspended for the entire season due to an unspecified violation of team rules. The Friars finished the season at 23–12 mark overall, the most wins in a season since 1996–1997. Two players received regular season honors, Senior point guardBryce Cotton was named first-team All-Big East and Senior forward Kadeem Batts earned second-team All-Big East accolades. Entering the Big East tournament, the Friars played as the fourth seed due to losing the tie-breaker withXavier. They defeatedSt. John's in the quarterfinals,Seton Hall in the semifinals, andCreighton in the thrilling final atMadison Square Garden, claiming PC's second tournament title in Big East history. By winning the Big East tournament the team earned an automatic bid, removing any "bubble" fears. On their way to making history as the first tournament champion of the reconfigured league, Junior forward Ladonte Henton was named to the All-Tournament Team and Senior guardBryce Cotton was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. On selection Sunday, the Friars were given the 11th seed in the2014 NCAA tournament East Regional and facedNorth Carolina. The Friars lost 79–77, but in defeat,Bryce Cotton scored a career high 36 points, making him the fourth all-time leading scorer inProvidence College basketball history. Despite the loss, the season marked yet another major step forward by Cooley's in rebuilding the PC basketball program.
In his fourth season at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to a 22–12 record and went 11–7 in the Big East while finishing in sole possession of fourth place in the conference. Cooley received a boost by a dynamic recruiting class which included 3 composite Top 100 recruits (Paschal Chukwu, Jalen Lindsey, andBen Bentil), as well as the return ofKris Dunn from his redshirt year due to his shoulder injury the season prior. Despite losing sharpshooter Josh Fortune as a result of transfer to the University of Colorado, Cooley gained the eligibility of transfer guard Junior Lomomba, who was forced to sit out the season before due to NCAA regulations. After beginning the season 5–0 (including an exciting 75–74 victory overNotre Dame in the championship game of theHall of Fame Tip Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun), Providence was ranked #25 in the coaches poll, their first ranking since the2003–2004 season. They later debuted in the AP poll on February 23, and peaked as high as 23rd in the polls. The Friars run in the polls was aided greatly by co-Big East Player of the YearKris Dunn, who averaged 15.6 ppg and 7.5 apg in his return season, while senior forwardLaDontae Henton added 19.7 ppg. Both players were named to the2014–2015 First Team All-Big East team. Once again, the Friars facedSt. John's in the first round of the Big East tournament, winning comfortably, before setting up a matchup against #4Villanova in the second round of the tournament. Despite being heavy underdogs, Providence fought valiantly, only to be called for a controversial foul with 3.1 seconds left which led to twoRyan Arcidiacono free throws to seal a Villanova 63–61 victory. Villanova would later go on to win the Big East tournament. As a result of its excellent season, Providence would be selected as a 6 seed in the2015 NCAA tournament East Region and faced the 11 seededUniversity of Dayton. Controversy again ensued for Ed Cooley's Friars, as the site of the game would be played in Columbus, Ohio, just 80 miles from Dayton's campus. Despite having qualified for the game two days before and being undersized, Dayton controlled the pace of play, and PC struggled after star guard Kris Dunn picked up 2 fouls in the first 2:42 of the game. After Providence cut the lead to 44–41 with 6:43 left, Dayton would go on a 14–4 run over the next 5:08 and go on to win comfortably 66–53 to end the Friars season. After the season, with star forwardLaDontae Henton already graduating from the program, the other starting forward for the Friars, Tyler Harris, decided to explore a graduate season at the University of Auburn, and the Friars also lost highly regarded freshman Paschal Chukwu toSyracuse as a late transfer, a decision that surprised and confused Coach Cooley. After flirting with the NBA draft,Kris Dunn decided to return to Providence despite being considered a potential lottery pick in many NBA Draft projections.
In his fifth season, Cooley led the Friars to a 24–11, 10–8 in Big East play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They defeatedButler in the quarterfinals of theBig East tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost toVillanova. They received an at-large bid to theNCAA tournament as a No. 9 seed where they facedUSC in an exciting First Round matchup and won on a Rodney Bullock layup with 1.5 seconds left to advance to the Second Round where they lost toNorth Carolina. After the season, guardKris Dunn and forwardBen Bentil declared for the2016 NBA draft, where they were selected 5th overall by theMinnesota Timberwolves and 51st overall by theBoston Celtics, respectively.
In his sixth season, Cooley led the Friars to an overall record of 20–13, and went 10–8 inBig East play to finish in a four-way tie for third place. As the No. 3 seed in theBig East tournament, they lost in the quarterfinals toCreighton. They received an at-large bid to theNCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed where they lost toUSC in the First Four.
In his seventh season, Cooley led the Friars to an overall record of 21–14, and went 10–8 inBig East play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. As the No. 5 seed in theBig East tournament, they defeatedCreighton and No. 1-seededXavier in back-to-back overtime games to advance to the championship game. In a third straight overtime game, the Friars fell toVillanova in the championship game. They received an at-large bid to theNCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West region where they lost toTexas A&M in the First Round.[6]
In his eighth season, Cooley led the Friars to an overall record of 18–16, and went 7–11 inBig East play to finish in a three-way tie for last place. As the No. 8 seed in theBig East tournament, they defeatedButler before losing toVillanova in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to theNIT where they lost in the First Round toArkansas.
In his ninth season, Cooley led the Friars to an overall record of 19–12, and went 12–6 inBig East play to finish in fourth place, with three teams tied at the top of the table. The2020 Big East tournament was cancelled at halftime of the first game of the quarterfinals due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.At the time of the cancellation of theNCAA tournament, the Friars were listed as a projected member of the tournament field by every major college basketball publication.[7]
In his tenth season, Cooley led the Friars to a 13–13 record, with a 9–10 mark in Big East play. Due to theDunkin’ Donuts Center becoming a state-sanctioned testing site for COVID-19, Providence played its home games with no spectators at the on-campusMullaney Gymnasium at Alumni Hall. This would mark the first time the Friars would play all home games on campus since 1972. Providence, a 6-seed in the2021 Big East tournament, fell to 11-seedDePaul in front of no spectators at Madison Square Garden.
Despite standout guardDavid Duke Jr. declaring for the2021 NBA draft, Cooley's eleventh season at the helm of the Providence Friars was one of their most historic seasons to date. The Friars finished with a 27–6 overall record. The Friars were ranked for 11 consecutive weeks to finish the season, having entered the AP Top 25 on December 20. Their 14–3 record against Big East opponents marked the most in-conference wins in program history, and their 16–1 record in home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was the program's best home record since the 1973–74 season. In their win over Creighton on February 26, Providence won its first-ever Big East regular season title. Cooley led the Friars to the program's sixth Sweet 16 appearance, where they dropped a 66–61 game toKansas, the eventual national champion. Providence made its first appearance as a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was their highest-ever. For Providence's success, Cooley was tabbed as the winner of the 2021–22Naismith Coach of the Year Award.
In his twelfth and final season with Providence, Cooley was tasked with replacing major role players from the year prior. ForwardsNate Watson, Justin Minaya & Noah Horchler - as well as guardAl Durham - graduated, and sharpshooterAJ Reeves declared for the NBA Draft. Cooley recruited Kentucky transferBryce Hopkins, South Carolina transferDevin Carter, and Louisville graduate transferNoah Locke - all of whom made immediate impacts. Cooley led the Friars to an overall record of 21–12, and went 13–7 in Big East play to finish in fifth place. Providence was eliminated by theUConn Huskies in the first round of the Big East tournament, and was awarded an at-large bid as an eleven-seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Friars were eliminated by #6 Kentucky in the first round.
On March 20, 2023, Cooley accepted an offer to become the new head coach of theGeorgetown Hoyas men's basketball team.[8]
Cooley's hiring at Georgetown was described by the press as a "tectonic" move within theBig East, praised as a "coup" for Georgetown that was likely to strengthen the historic but struggling program.[9]
The2023–2024 Hoyas started the season 7–4, with a notable last second win atNotre Dame, its first victory over the Irish on the road since the 2013 season (when they were a fellow member of the Big East). The team lost several close games in conference play, including its much anticipated matchup againstProvidence, one of the most watched college basketball games of the season. Ultimately Georgetown finished 2–18 in the league and 9–23 overall. The two league wins however matched the number of wins the Hoyas had the prior two seasons combined in Big East play. Georgetown did not play in any Postseason.[citation needed]
The2024–2025 season began with a completely overhauled roster, headlined by Top 50 high school recruitThomas Sorber and highly regarded transfersMalik Mack (fromHarvard) andMicah Peavy (fromTCU).[citation needed] The Hoyas got out to their best start in over a decade, as they began the year 12–2. The strong start included Cooley's first win at rivalSyracuse in the 100th matchup of the storied rivalry, and a 3–0 record to begin Big East play with wins overCreighton,Seton Hall andXavier. Georgetown struggled with injuries down the stretch, most significantly losing Sorber for the season in early February. The team was selected to play in the inaugural2025 College Basketball Crown postseason tournament inLas Vegas, Nevada. The Hoyas won their opening round game againstWashington State, 85-82 before losing in the Quarterfinal toNebraska 69-81.[10]
The Hoyas began the2025-26 season with an 8–4 record that included wins againstMaryland andClemson. Cooley was suspended for one game following a loss againstXavier after which he threw a water bottle into the stands, which struck a small child.[11]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Stags(Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)(2006–2011) | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | Fairfield | 13–19 | 10–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 2007–08 | Fairfield | 14–16 | 11–7 | T–5th | |||||
| 2008–09 | Fairfield | 17–15 | 9–9 | T–4th | |||||
| 2009–10 | Fairfield | 23–11 | 13–5 | 2nd | CIT Second Round | ||||
| 2010–11 | Fairfield | 25–8 | 15–3 | 1st | NIT Second Round | ||||
| Fairfield: | 92–69 (.571) | 58–32 (.644) | |||||||
| Providence Friars(Big East Conference)(2011–2023) | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | Providence | 15–17 | 4–14 | 15th | |||||
| 2012–13 | Providence | 19–15 | 9–9 | T–9th | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2013–14 | Providence | 23–12 | 10–8 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Providence | 22–12 | 11–7 | 4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2015–16 | Providence | 24–11 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Providence | 20–13 | 10–8 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I First Four | ||||
| 2017–18 | Providence | 21–14 | 10–8 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Providence | 18–16 | 7–11 | T–8th | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2019–20 | Providence | 19–12 | 12–6 | 4th | |||||
| 2020–21 | Providence | 13–13 | 9–10 | 6th | |||||
| 2021–22 | Providence | 27–6 | 14–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Providence | 21–12 | 13–7 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| Providence: | 242–153 (.613) | 119–99 (.546) | |||||||
| Georgetown Hoyas(Big East Conference)(2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | Georgetown | 9–23 | 2–18 | 10th | |||||
| 2024–25 | Georgetown | 18–16 | 8–12 | 7th | CBC Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2025–26 | Georgetown | 12–12* | 5–9 | ||||||
| Georgetown: | 39–51 (.433) | 15–39 (.278) | |||||||
| Total: | 373–273 (.577) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
Cooley is married to Nurys Cooley. They have two children: Olivia and Isaiah.[12]
Cooley isCatholic, and was known to attend church withDan Hurley when the latter was coach of theRhode Island Rams.[13]
