Will coach Ed Cooley leave Providence basketball to coach Georgetown?

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Is this really where it ends for Ed Cooley at his hometown school?

Providence’s coach was less than an hour removed from the close of his 2022-23 season. The Friars suffered a 61-53 defeat against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, and uncertainty hung in the air at Greensboro Coliseum.

What’s been speculation for the past few weeks is now at the center of the discussion. Cooley is a top target for the job opening at Georgetown, and he intends to listen when approached. He spoke at length within earshot of Friars athletic director Steve Napolillo about what could be a pivotal few days for both himself and the program he’s led for 12 seasons.

“There are a lot of decisions I need to make,” Cooley said. “There’s a lot of thinking I’m going to do. I want to make sure I’m there for our players.

“I know you guys have been asking this and you’re doing your job and I appreciate that. There’s a lot of reflecting I need to do. I’ll definitely let you know what I’m going to do when this is all over.”

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Cooley, 53, has reached seven NCAA Tournaments with Providence – eight if you include a projected place in the 2019-20 field that was ultimately scuttled by COVID-19. He’s benefited from strong institutional alignment behind him and a revamped Big East conference membership. There is no question as to whether or not the Friars would like him to continue with them for the long term.

“We want this to go a long time,” Napolillo said. “But at the end of the day, coach is his own man. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure the program stays at the elite level.

“Invest in him. Invest in facilities. Invest in everything we do for the program – I can promise you that.”

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Cooley already takes home north of $3.5 million annually on a contract that runs through at least the remainder of the 2020s. He’s helped preside over the transformation of the men’s basketball program and the school at large, ushering in an era of financial competence and facility expansion unseen previously at Providence. Former athletic director Bob Driscoll started the momentum and Napolillo has continued it since his promotion from within the department last year.

“When you can get the level of support we’ve gotten over the last 12 years – from where we were to where our program is and where we’re trying to go, our crowd, our facilities, our fundraising – it's at an elite level,” Cooley said. “I think it’s a combination of alignment. It’s a combination of trust, growth and development.”

How much more is there to do? The changing landscape of college athletics at large will always offer fresh challenges. Cooley is believed to want assurances from the Friars regarding an annual name, image and likeness pool that will allow him to attract superior talent both in prep recruiting and through the transfer portal. His concern is being able to sustain and improve the program’s current performance level in the years to come.

“There are a lot of schools out there promising things they don’t have,” Napolillo said. “We’re going to do it the right way, we’re going to do it at a high level and make sure we continue to get the players coach needs to achieve Big East and national championships. That’s the goal.”

This isn’t a vintage collection of Wildcats, but they offered a 40-minute reminder of how far Providence remains from that lofty place. The Friars fell to 0-4 all-time against Kentucky and 12-36 against nonconference opponents who have won multiple national championships. Providence is a combined 80-129 against current and former league foes like Connecticut, Louisville and Villanova — better, certainly, but not what Cooley or any other ambitious coach would consider cause for celebration.

“Progress is about alignment,” said Cooley, who trails only Joe Mullaney (290) for most wins as Friars coach. “Progress is about administration. They’ve got to trust. They’ve got to believe. They’ve got to fund it the right way.

“When you look at where we’re funded and how we’re funded and the things we do, it’s at an elite level. It’s second to none in the country.”

How much more can the Hoyas offer? The school boasts the largest endowment in the conference at more than $3 billion and a prestigious alumni base. Its location in Washington, D.C., guarantees close proximity to coveted recruits. Cooley would gain the personal adulation that comes with any new start and a chance to restore the legacy of the late John Thompson, one of his coaching heroes.

To make such a move within the conference would certainly impact Cooley’s legacy with the Friars. It would be cold business to turn his back on what he’s helped establish here for the sake of the unknown. But to realize we’ve come this far already is to believe more than ever that such an outcome is now genuinely in play.

“Those are hard questions,” Cooley said. “Everybody wants an answer. But I can’t give you a direct answer with respect to making sure I evaluate everything I need to evaluate.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Will Providence basketball coach Ed Cooley become next Georgetown coach