Georgetown hires Ed Cooley: Providence coach leaving Friars after 12 seasons to take over Hoyas program

Providence coach Ed Cooley has accepted an offer from Georgetown to be its next men's head basketball coach, the school announced on Monday.

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The move is huge for Cooley, considering his status as the hometown, favored son of Providence.

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To leave for the Hoyas' program in Washington, D.C., is a seismic decision for Cooley, Providence, Georgetown and the Big East.

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"I am excited for the opportunity to lead the men's basketball program at Georgetown University. President DeGioia and Athletics Director Lee Reed are united in a strong vision, including in their beliefs, for Georgetown's program, its players and the team's success," CooIey said in a statement.

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"I plan on hitting the ground running, getting to work on the court and cultivating relationships in and around the District. Accepting this opportunity with Georgetown is not a decision I took lightly, and was made in careful consideration with my wife and family."

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Georgetown fired Patrick Ewing earlier this month following a disappointing six-year tenure, and sources told CBS Sports the school has been targeting Cooley for weeks.

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Cooley met with Georgetown brass on Sunday. Cooley met with his family on Monday morning to discuss the decision. Cooley, who grew up in Providence, has long described PC as his dream job.

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The move is a tectonic one in the Big East; this amounts to a coup for Georgetown, which strengthens its program and theoretically weakens its Rhode Island intra-conference brethren.

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Cooley coached Providence into relevance over the past decade; the school has been competitive on a near-annual basis since he arrived in 2011. Georgetown, conversely, has only made two NCAA Tournaments in the past decade.

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