Becomes 11th head coach in program history

Ed Cooley, an assistant basketball coach at Boston College, was named head coach of men's basketball at Fairfield University today. He becomes the 11th coach to oversee the Stags basketball program since its inception in 1948-49. The announcement was made by Director of Athletics Eugene P. Doris during a news conference at the Barone Campus Center on the University's main campus.

"It's with great pleasure that I welcome Ed to the Fairfield University community as our men's basketball coach," Doris said. "His enthusiasm and experience make him the perfect choice for our basketball program. He has been part of successful basketball programs throughout his career, and played a key role in that success as a top-notch recruiter. His goal to bring student athletes that will be successful in the classroom as well as on the basketball court certainly mirrors Fairfield University's philosophy."

Although this will be his first head coaching position, Cooley's resume boasts coaching assignments at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1994-95), Stonehill College (1995-96), University of Rhode Island (1996-97), and Boston College (1997-2006). He has served the last 10 years as an assistant coach under Al Skinner, beginning with his one-year stay at Rhode Island through his nine-year stint at Boston College.

"I am very thankful for the opportunity to coach at a prestigious University like Fairfield University," Cooley said. "I am looking forward to building a successful program at Fairfield University, and creating a winning atmosphere. I will recruit nationally to bring in quality student athletes who can succeed both academically and athletically."

At Boston College, Cooley helped the Eagles post a 175-108 overall record, which included five 20-win seasons. The team captured the 2000-01 Big East championship, earning one of five NCAA tournament berths during Cooley's tenure. The Eagles also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament one time, giving the team six post-season berths in nine seasons. In 2004-05, Boston College started the season with 20 straight victories, which established a school record for consecutive wins. This past season, Boston College advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship game against Duke University.

A graduate of Stonehill College, Cooley began his coaching career at UMass-Dartmouth where he helped the team post a 25-4 record and a number three national ranking. He returned to his alma mater for one season, before joining Coach Skinner's staff at the University of Rhode Island for the 1996-97 campaign. With his assistance, the Rams earned their second NCAA Tournament berth in five years.

Cooley played basketball from 1990-94 at Stonehill College. He was a three-year team captain with the Chieftains, and also captured Northeast-10 Academics Honor Roll accolades. He secured two Rhode Island High School Player of the Year awards before enrolling at Stonehill College.

Cooley takes over the program from Tim O'Toole, who compiled a 112-120 overall record in eight seasons at the helm which included a 9-19 overall record in 2005-06.

Posted On: 04-11-2006 10:04 AM

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