Ed Cooley Earns Multi-Year Extension At Providence College

PROVIDENCE, RI — Providence College head basketball coach Ed Cooley earned a multi-year extension with the remains that will keep him in his hometown for years to come.

The college announced the move on Tuesday, following a year which saw Cooley win the Naismith Coach of the Year award, as well as the same title in the Big East. On the court, the Friars were Big East regular season champs, and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16, narrowly losing to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks.

Cooley, who is entering his 12th year with the program, is second all-time in wins.

"Providence is my home and Providence is where I want to be," said Cooley.

He continued:

"Not many coaches are able to live the dream of coaching in their hometown and I feel blessed every day that I have this opportunity. I have had the good fortune of working for great administrators and coaching some of the best players in the country. I believe in the leadership at Providence College and with that I want to thank Fr. Sicard and Steve Napolillo for allowing me to continue my career in Friartown. The support that our donors and fans have shown toward our program has grown to new heights over the last 11 years. We had a special season in 2022, and I am excited as we look ahead to this season and the opportunity to compete for another BIG EAST title."

It's hard to overstate how big of a step forward last year was for the Friars program. Cooley became the first Friars coach to win Big East Coach of the Year honors, and the Big East championship was the first in Providence history.

The team, which leveraged the transfer portal to the benefit of their roster, made the Sweet 16 for the first time in 25 years, and only the sixth time in program history. Their 27 wins are tied for the second-highest single-season win total in the program's history.

"Ed Cooley is such an inspirational member of our College community," Providence College President Fr. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P., said.

He continued:

"There is widespread agreement that he is an excellent basketball coach as underscored by his recent recognition as the Naismith Coach of the Year. But he is so much more than that to our Friar family. Ed is fully engaged in the depth and breadth of the Providence College mission and the daily life of the College. We are so very pleased with and grateful for his continued commitment to PC, and this contract extension is, in turn, our commitment to him that we will continue to support him and the men's basketball program to the highest degree."

The Friars kick off the beginning of the college basketball season on Oct. 1 with "Late Night Madness". Providence announced that Khalid, one of the most streamed artists in the world and a legitimate pop star, will perform at the event, which returns to their downtown arena for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The full schedule for the Friars men's basketball season has yet to be announced, but the Friars do have a couple of dates set.

They will take on the University of Miami in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament scheduled for Nov. 19, and will square off against Texas Christian University as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle on Nov. 30.