Cooley seeks positive spin on FBI probe
PC head coach wants to shine spotlight on good players and good coaches
PROVIDENCE — Presented the opportunity to opine about the FBI’s recent investigation into corruption in college basketball and how the sport’s reputation has suffered a black eye as a result, Providence College head coach Ed Cooley took the bait and ran with it prior to Monday’s practice at Alumni Hall.
In-between questions about the Friars’ matchup at No. 3 Xavier on Wednesday night, Cooley agreed when it was suggested that now is the time to shine a positive light on the sport rather than keep harping on a few individuals who, fair or unfair, have dragged down the entire landscape.
“Our game isn’t as tarnished as many people are portraying it,” said Cooley. “Until this is all weeded out – what’s real and what’s factual – we need to shine the light on the good players and the good coaches who are doing a good job with their
programs. There’s hundreds of them around the country, but bad news sells in front of all these (cameras and microphones) I’m in front of.”
Once again, Cooley reiterated that when it comes to the FBI probe, Friar fans have absolutely nothing to fear.
“We do it the right way. We go about recruiting the right way. We go about mentoring our young men the right way,” said Cooley. “We’re extremely compliant. We do what we’re supposed to do in order to maintain integrity in our sport.”
When a reporter suggested the NCAA needs to do something in order to generate positive ink amidst the current stormy culture, Cooley stressed his desire to have a third exhibition game – preferably one against a fellow Division I team – become a permanent staple. The premise of that particular contest would be to raise much-needed funds for locally-based charities. Last October, PC and UConn played an exhibition game at Mohegan Sun where the proceeds went to hurricane relief efforts.
“That’s a home run and a win-win for everybody,” said Cooley.
The fact that this troubling FBI news came out right before the calendar flips to college basketball’s marquee month is tough to digest, feels Cooley.
“For the sport, it’s disheartening. It does put a negative light on what we do,” said Cooley. “It’s real so you can’t hide from it, but sometimes the good gets outshined by the bad apples.”
Cooley has a close relationship with Arizona head coach Sean Miller through their association with USA Basketball. Miller is one of the coaches who has come under fire based on FBI wiretaps of conversations where Miller is discussing paying a recruit $100,000.
“I feel for him, but I can’t control what he’s done or hasn’t done, or will or won’t do,” said Cooley, who revealed Monday that he has reached out to Miller via text message. “All I can do is support someone that I love and respect dearly.”