Celebrated NCAA Coach Hits Back at Ex-Team after Dicey Fiasco

Changes are hard. But tougher than a change is going back to the place from where you started. This was the dramatic scenario when Providence Friars’ former head coach Ed Cooley came back to the Amica Mutual Pavilion. But this time he was accompanied by his new team – the Georgetown Hoyas to lock horns in what was a gripping match. Looking at the other point of view, the stage was set for the Friars’ fans to take their revenge on a coach who had left them in March last year.

And the next few minutes went exactly according to what the Friars fans had wished. The Providence won the match by an 84-76 margin. But that did not worry Cooley. He looked to still have a fondness for his previous team. 

What did Cooley say?

Cooley was questioned about the chock-a-block stadium that night. And the former Friars’ coach didn’t shy away from asking for credit. He with pride written over it demanded recognition for his years of hard work with the Friars during the post-match press conference. A YouTube short regarding the same was making rounds on the internet. 

“This wasn’t overnight that everybody came in here. If anything, I should ask Providence College for a bonus check based on the energy that was in here. And that’s no lie,” Cooley stated.

The game between the Providence Friars and the Georgetown Hoyas was a complete sell-out. The arena was completely packed with supporters from the Friars, and the tickets were selling above the face value in the secondary markets. This proved how much fans had started adoring their basketball team and now had marked their presence in the much-anticipated clash.

As per the Providence Journal, Cooley was met with boos during the starting lineup announcement for each team. “And, of course, they’re passionate fans. They should be that way, and it’s okay,” Cooley rationalized their move. He had notably left the Friars last March citing that “Ed needed a change.”

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He then justified his decision of moving to the Georgetown Hoyas enumerating that “Georgetown was the place for me to make that change” as per Fox Sports’ John Fanta (h/t: Sportskeeda). Despite the loss, Cooley looked in bliss.

What did Cooley have to say about the loss?

The Hoyas after this game have an 8-12 tally and a 1-8 record in the conference games. But this did not look to break Cooley’s confidence. He rather in his unwavering sureness mentioned that he instead liked the fact that he has “the opportunity to do something where we’re going to prove everybody wrong.” The 54-year-old in all his calmness opined that “We didn’t play well today down the stretch, and that’s okay. They did.”

Whether the credit should go to Cooley or to the new coach Kim English is still debatable. But what is not debatable is that Cooley made a move and seems content with his team’s poor performance. Hopefully, they will bounce back soon and that will be as delightful for the Hoyas’ fans as this win was for the Friars’ spectators.

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