Prepare for an awkward reunion Saturday as former Providence Friars head basketball coach Ed Cooley returns to the Amica Mutual Pavilion as a visiting head coach. Cooley leads the Georgetown Hoyas against the Friars. He coached PC for 12 seasons before leaving following the 2023 season to take over the Georgetown job.

Cooley’s departure was seen as a betrayal by many PC fans. Born in Providence, Ed Cooley had long called the Friars his dream job and often described the team mantra as “Us, We, Together, Family, Friars.” However, he cited family reasons for the move to the Hoyas, his daughter, Olivia, recently graduated from Georgetown.

In 12 seasons in Providence, Cooley won 242 games and led the Friars to the NCAA tournament seven times, reaching the Sweet 16 in the 2021-2022 season. He also led the team to the Big East tournament championship in 2014. But, Cooley’s departure made unwanted history as he became the first coach in Big East history to leave for a conference rival.

This season

Ed Cooley’s first season in Georgetown has not been going overly well. The Hoyas sit tenth in the 11-team conference at 7-6, barely ahead of DePaul. Georgetown in 1-7 in conference play. In contract, PC currently sits 10-2, good enough for eight in the conference. The Friars are 4-4 in conference play.

Cooley should not expect a warm welcome when he walks into the Amica Mutual Pavilion Saturday. He led the Friars to some great moments in the building. However, fans don’t take too kindly to a coach leaving for a conference rival. As for the game, I expect Providence to win as the Friars players Cooley recruited will likely be extra motivated to defeat their former coach.

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