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Ed Cooley was born and raised in East Providence, Rhode Island. As a teenager, he would sneak into Providence games and dream about becoming a part of the prestigious program. Ed was not talented enough to play at Providence, so he played his college ball at Stonehill College. After his brief professional career, Cooley switched to coaching. His first high major job was an assistant coach at Boston College. Quickly, Ed established himself as a premier coach and took a head coaching job at Fairfield University. At the same time, the Providence Basketball program was at an all-time low. Providence had finished six of the last ten seasons under .500. A program that once sat the top of the Big East year in and year out was looking to make a drastic change.

On March 22, 2011, Ed Cooley was named the 15th head basketball coach in Providence history. As a hometown kid, many thought Ed had his dream job. In a press conference shortly after his introduction at Providence, he was asked “Will you ever leave Providence?” Ed replied no, which led many to believe that Providence had found their long-term coach. So, Ed slowly rebuilt the Providence program.

In just his third season at Providence, he led the team to victory in the 2014 Big East Tournament Championship over a heavily favored Creighton team. This was just the start, however, as Providence would proceed to make 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2018, Providence made another run to the Big East Championship after beating #1 seed Xavier in the semi-final, before losing to eventual National Champion Villanova in an overtime thriller. After some disappointing COVID seasons, Providence was looking for a bounce-back season in 2021/22. Instantly, the team captured massive victories over Wisconsin, Marquette, and a buzzer-beater against Xavier. The team finished the season 27-6, capturing the 1st Big East regular season championship in Program History. In an emotional interview after the championship, Ed was in tears as he had successfully brought his hometown team back to national relevancy. Providence would ultimately fall in the Sweet 16 to the eventual national champion Kansas by five points. Ed Cooley won the National Coach of the Year award as the Friars were beginning to get some national recognition. Things were looking up in Friartown, the future was so bright. Little did Friar fans know how much things would change only 1 year later.

On March 20th, 2023, Ed Cooley became the 23rd head men’s basketball coach in Georgetown history. 12 years after he made a promise to Friar fans that he would never leave, he left town for a rival. Ed quit on the 2022/23 squad and was halfway out the door during the Big East/NCAA tournament run that had so much promise. Instantly, Ed became a villain. Videos surfaced on the internet showing Providence students chanting vulgarity towards Ed Cooley on campus. He became known as Benedict Arnold around Providence.

As the 2023/24 season dawned back in November, Friar fans could not wait until Cooley made his return to Providence. However, many overlooked how talented the current Providence squad was. In the first two months of the season, Providence demolished both Wisconsin and Marquette by double digits. In a game vs. Seton Hall in early January, Providence star and projected first-round draft pick, Bryce Hopkins, tore his ACL in a devastating injury. Many thought the season was over. Friar fans were crushed but found a way to rally around new head coach, Kim English. The young coach’s mantra all year had been “Mindset” even before the injury This Providence team never lost hope and always had the right Mindset. They won two straight games including a revenge win at Seton Hall heading into “The Game.”

On January 27th, 2024, Ed Cooley returned to Providence. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the Dunk on that historic day. It was the loudest environment I had ever been in. Ed Cooley was greeted with 13,000 booing fans and vulgar chants that let him know how Friar fans really felt. In an electric game, Providence defeated Georgetown 84-76.

As a lifelong Friar fan, it was one of the best experiences of my life. It was amazing to see how the Providence community rallied around Kim English and the current Friar squad. If you want to catch a glimpse of what the atmosphere was like, Barstool Sports made a vlog that is posted on YouTube. Providence has fought so much adversity this season, and it felt like it was all worth it when Devin Carter hit a windmill dunk to seal the win.

In the month since the game, Providence has continued to fight adversity without their star player. They pulled off a win against #15 Creighton, a talented St. Johns team, and a massive road victory against Xavier. They have put themselves in a position to make the NCAA tournament in a season where everyone counted them out. If you’re going to be filling out a bracket this March, look for Providence to make a run.

As for Georgetown, they have not won a single game since they lost to Providence. Ed Cooley has done an awful job in his first season, considering he brought in transfers from UNC, Texas, and Illinois. Georgetown plays home games in front of minimal fans, and they get demolished almost every game. One time, Ed had to yell at a player for not paying attention during an in-game huddle. Many are questioning if Cooley regrets leaving Providence considering the future does not look bright in D.C. However, the Big East does better when Georgetown is relevant. While that may take a long time, I do think Cooley will make them competent at some point. In conclusion, I hope Cooley realizes that the grass is not always greener on the other side.