PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 23, 2011) - Former Stonehill College men's basketball captain and assistant coach Ed Cooley, '94, has been named the 15th head coach at Providence College, the school announced on Tuesday. Providence is formally announcing the hiring with a press conference on campus this afternoon.
Cooley was a four-year letterwinner at Stonehill from 1990-94, serving as team captain for three years. After serving as an assistant at nearby UMass Dartmouth following graduation, he returned to his alma mater to serve as assistant in 1995-96 under former coach David DeCiantis. From Stonehill, Cooley linked up with former Boston College head coach Al Skinner at the University of Rhode Island for the 1996-97 season, following him to Chestnut Hill where he served as Skinners assistant for nine years.
Cooley took over as the head coach at Fairfield where he revitalized the Stags program, capped by back-to-back 20 win seasons and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season title this winter, advancing to the second round of the NIT. He earned MAAC and United States Basketball Writers Assocation (USBWA) District I Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.
Cooley is a Providence native who played his high school basketball at Central High School, where he was a two-time State Player of the Year in Rhode Island, and then attended a prep school in New Hampshire before joining Stonehill.
Check out the links below for stories regarding Cooley's hire:
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: "Cooley has sky-high hopes for PC hoops program"
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: "From beginning, Cooley overcame obstacles"
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: "Cooley's determination helped him rewrite the script"
ESPN.COM: "Ed Cooley vows to help Providence win"
FRIARS.COM: "Ed Cooley Named Men's Basketball Head Coach"
BROCKTON ENTERPRISE: "Stonehill graduate Ed Cooley new PC basketball coach"
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: "Cooley officially named Friars coach"
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL - Jim Donaldson: "Cooley coming to PC to 'take charge of the program'"
WOONSOCKET CALL: "Hendricken's Gomes: Cooley is 'perfect fit' for PC"