:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72095656/usa_today_20244681.0.jpg "Georgetown basketball news: Grading Ed Cooley hire for Hoyas, coach")
Georgetown officially announced on Monday after the hiring of Providence's Ed Cooley as its next head coach for men's basketball. Cooley will switch Big East school affiliations and officially replace Patrick Ewing, who the school let go following their exit from the Big East Tournament a few weeks back.
Below, we'll provide a grade for the hire on both ends and offer instant analysis.
Grade for Georgetown: A
Even before Ewing's firing became official, Cooley was identified as a top target for the Hoyas. Now they've got the guy they wanted and didn't have to undergo a lengthy search that lasted for several weeks.
Right off the bat, Cooley brings with him over a decade of experience coaching in the Big East and had a tremendous amount of success during his time at Providence. He posted a record of 242-153 with the Friars and led them to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, one Big East Tournament title (2014) and one Big East regular season title (2022). That is an immediate upgrade over Ewing, who posted a disastrous combined record of 13-50 in his final two seasons with his alma mater.
This is also significant as it marks the first time in a half century that the program will be led by someone outside of the John Thompson circle. While the legendary head coach's influence is still felt in Washington D.C., the program needed to expand outside of its bubble for fresh faces and new ideas. It did just that with hiring Cooley.
Grade for Cooley: A
Cooley could've been a lifer at his hometown program of Providence, but will now head south for a different challenge at a Big East rival. One could argue that he has already accomplished everything he could accomplish with the Friars and got out before a regression could begin.
He'll now be heading to a program with a richer basketball history in Georgetown that will offer him more resources to compete at a high level. He will now be located in the talent-rich DMV area, where he will have direct access to some of the best college basketball-ready players in the country. This combined with the transfer portal could allow for him to turn things around fairly quickly.
Considering Georgetown's futility over the past few seasons, Cooley won't be under immediate pressure and will be given time to turn things around. If he simply has the Hoyas back to a level where they are competitive in Big East play, the support and momentum surrounding him will only grow.