Georgetown has hired former Providence coach Ed Cooley to lead the Hoyas men’s basketball program, the school announced Monday afternoon.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the two sides had “positive conversations,” while Stadium’s Jeff Goodman subsequently said Cooley was “on verge” of leaving the Friars for the Hoyas.
“I plan on hitting the ground running, getting to work on the court and cultivating relationships in and around the District,” Cooley said in a statement. “Accepting this opportunity with Georgetown is not a decision I took lightly, and was made in careful consideration with my wife and family.”
Cooley, a Providence native, had coached the Friars since 2011 following five seasons at Fairfield. In 12 seasons at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to seven NCAA tournament appearances, with a conference tournament title in ’14 and a regular-season title in ’22. In total, Cooley had a 242–153 record at Providence.
While Cooley is just coming off an NCAA tournament loss over the weekend, Goodman reported it would take a “last-minute change of heart” for him to not take the Hoyas job. According to CBS Sports’s Jon Rothstein, Cooley already had put his Rhode Island house up for sale as of Monday morning.
Georgetown was seeking a new coach to replace Patrick Ewing, who was fired after six seasons leading his alma mater. In that span, Ewing reached the NCAA tournament just once and compiled a 75–109 record, including 13–50 over the past two seasons.
By taking the Georgetown job, it will mean Cooley remains in the Big East and must play his former team twice per season.
Meantime, Providence is expected to consider George Mason coach Kim English as Cooley’s replacement, according to Rothstein.
