Ed Cooley Lands Dream Job. Wants PC Fans To Dream Big!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Dreams can and do come true. Just ask new Providence College men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley.

Cooley, a Providence native, was officially introduced earlier today at a press conference at PC’s Alumni Hall. He was welcomed by a thunderous applause from the hundreds of Friar fans who showed up at the Mullaney Gymnasium.

Providence College Athletic Director confirmed what was first reported here that Ed Cooley was their top choice all along. They had an “A” list of one which was Cooley and a “B” list of four other candidates whom they never had to enter discussions with because Cooley was their guy.

School President Father Shanley made it very clear that what attracted them to Cooley was not only his ability to coach basketball, but to also act as a leader and a mentor to his players and to coach them in the game of life. Both he and Driscoll knew after talking to Cooley that he truly was the right man for the job.

“Father Shanley I want to thank you. Bob I want to thank you. Mike Tranghese and Carl (LeBranch) I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity for me to come home. Home means everything to me. I don’t know if many of you feel that in your gut, when you have that opportunity of a lifetime,” Cooley said.

It didn’t matter if you were a diehard PC fan or not, to listen to Cooley speak was truly inspirational. The man speaks with conviction and he speaks from the heart.

Cooley said that a lot of people tried to convince him not to go to PC because it’s not easy to win here. He quickly dismissed that notion by saying, “not only will we win here, not only do I believe we’re going to win here, but we’re going to win and we’re going to win BIG!”

Cooley also gave what many Friar fans hope is an indication of the type of team he plans to put on the floor when he said, “we want to become the most dominant, the most physical, the most disciplined team, not this year, not next year, every year!”

Cooley’s charisma impressed everyone in the gym, including long-time Friars season ticket holder Dianne Webb. “I’ve been to a lot of these press conferences where they’ve hired a new head coach and I didn’t come here with any great expectations,” she said. “But after listening to him speak for a couple of minutes I got goose bumps and started to tear up.”

Former Rhode Island Rams point guard Tyson Wheeler was Cooley’s Director of Basketball Operations and Fairfield and, at the moment, won’t be coming to PC with his former boss. But Wheeler had nothing but great things to say about his former boss. “He’s a great coach,” he said. “He can flat out recruit and he’s a great motivator. Sometimes his players might get a little upset with the tough love but they realize that he’s only trying to get the best out of them.”

Cooley’s return to Providence is the true definition of full circle. The man was born and raised in the city and was a star at Central High School. He grew up a PC fan but, by his own admission, wasn’t good enough to play there.

Now he’s back to the place where he belongs. When asked about when he thought this opportunity to become PC’s head coach was going to become a reality, Cooley said, “when I was born.” “I was born to be here. I played many pick-up games in here. This was something that was meant to be.”

Details of Cooley’s contract were not made public but it is believed to be in the neighborhood of 7 years and close to a million dollars annually. And unlike many coaches who have succeeded here at PC in the past, Cooley has no intentions of going elsewhere. “This is my dream job, absolutely,” he said. “They can have me for as long as they want.”