PROVIDENCE – Ed Cooley will remain in charge of the Providence College men’s basketball team for years to come.
College President The Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard and Steve Napolillo, the college’s new vice president and director of athletics, announced Tuesday that PC and Cooley have agreed to a new multiyear contract extension to remain as the program’s head coach.
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Napolillo, while declining to offer specifics, told Providence Business News Tuesday that Cooley’s annual salary will be at least seven figures through the duration of the extension. Napolillo also said the extension is a “long-term commitment from both sides” and Cooley will “end his college career at Providence College.”
“It’s a deal that compensates Ed [Cooley] at the highest level of what he deserves, being one of the best coaches in the country,” Napolillo said, “and being a great ambassador for the institution.”
Cooley, a Providence native who has been at the helm of PC’s program for the last 11 years, led the Friars to a 27-6 record in 2021-22. Cooley guided PC to its first Big East Conference regular-season championship and the team advanced to the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament back in March for the first time since 1997.
For his efforts, Cooley was named the 2022 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach Of The Year back in April. He is the first PC men’s basketball coach to earn a national coach of the year accolades since 1987 with Rick Pitino, who led the Friars to the NCAA Final Four that year, winning the National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year.
“Not many coaches are able to live the dream of coaching in their hometown and I feel blessed every day that I have this opportunity,” Cooley said in a statement. “I have had the good fortune of working for great administrators and coaching some of the best players in the country. I believe in the leadership at Providence College… [and] support that our donors and fans have shown toward our program has grown to new heights over the last 11 years.”
Sicard said in a statement that Cooley is more than a basketball coach within the PC community. The college president said Cooley is fully engaged in the depth and breadth of the college’s mission and daily life.
“We are so very pleased with and grateful for his continued commitment to PC, and this contract extension is, in turn, our commitment to him that we will continue to support him and the men’s basketball program to the highest degree,” Sicard said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
