The Latest on Georgetown and Ed Cooley
Georgetown is ready to put the fullcourt press on for Ed Cooley.
The NCAA Tournament isn’t the only Big Dance going on right now. Ed Cooley and Georgetown continue to dance around each other, and all signs point to Georgetown preparing to put a massive offer on the table that Cooley can’t say no to, once Providence’s season concludes.
Multiple sources with knowledge of Georgetown’s thinking indicate that the university is prepared to offer Cooley a contract that is worth around $5 million per year, which would put Cooley firmly in the top ten nationally for head coach salaries in college basketball.
Sources close to Cooley insist that no decision has been made yet, and that Cooley himself hasn’t spoken to anyone from Georgetown about the job at this point.
People in and around the Georgetown program continue to project confidence in their chances to land Cooley, though. If you talk to Georgetown folks, you would believe that Cooley has already made his decision, and will be the next Georgetown head coach.
However, after conversations with multiple sources on both sides of the Georgetown-Cooley situations, this decision will ultimately come down to what Providence College leadership wants to do.
Why?
Well, Georgetown is going to offer Cooley a significant contract that will include a massive pay bump from what he is currently making at Providence. That much is pretty clear by now. They want to make him an offer he can’t refuse.
But Cooley’s ties to Providence— both the school and the city— are significant. And what he has built at Providence is not something he is eager to leave behind by any means.
The question is: is Providence going to do what it takes financially to keep Cooley and get to a number that is somewhat close to what Georgetown will offer?
Sources close to Cooley have said that Cooley plans to listen to Georgetown. He would be silly not to, because of the pay increase that he is about to receive— either from Providence or Georgetown— as a result of this interest.
It’s unclear how far Providence College leadership is willing to extend itself financially to keep Cooley.
Any assertion that Cooley to Georgetown is done is false. It’s just not the case. If Georgetown thinks they have Cooley locked up, that confidence would be misplaced, based on what I have heard in recent days.
If Cooley spurns Georgetown, the school is expected to pivot to Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Former Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and NC State head coach Kevin Keatts are also names that have been discussed by Georgetown leadership. Brey and Keatts’ names could gain more traction if Georgetown must move on from its pursuit of Cooley.
It’s going to be a stressful next few days for Georgetown fans. Clarity won’t be gained until Providence’s season ends.
It’s anyone’s guess what Cooley is going to decide when Georgetown presents him their offer. That will hinge on how close Providence can get to matching Georgetown’s offer. Let’s see what they decide.