Providence head coach Ed Cooley will mull over his future at the program. The Friars’ season ended Friday with a 61-53 loss to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Cooley’s name has surfaced as the frontrunner to become the head coach at Providence’s Big East rival, Georgetown.
According to Hilltop Hoops, Cooley is expected to make a decision on his future within the next 48-72 hours.
“There are a lot of decisions I need to make,” Cooley said after the loss. “A lot of thinking I need to do. But I need to be there for our players.
In an update from college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, Providence is willing to do everything to keep him. However, Georgetown is set to offer a deal for more money.
Cooley understands Georgetown has higher upside than Providence and it is tougher for the Friars to reach that level, Goodman adds.
Georgetown fired Patrick Ewing after six lackluster seasons. The Hoyas lost 50 games over the past two seasons, including a 29-game losing streak in Big East games.
Ed Cooley is a Providence native. He has compiled a 334-222 record in 12 seasons at Providence. The Friars made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including one Big East tournament title.
Georgetown has long been headed by the tree of John Thompson Jr since 1972. That’s included Thompson’s assistant Craig Esherick, his son John Thompson III, and Ewing, Thompson’s top player.
Cooley has a connection to Georgetown, he shares the same agent, Dennis Coleman, as John Thompson III and his brother Ronny Thompson, who Georgetown’s chief of staff.
