2022 -- H 7969

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LC005489

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING PROVIDENCE COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH ED

COOLEY ON BEING NAMED THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL 2021-

2022 COACH OF THE YEAR

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Filippi, Hull, Kennedy,
Solomon, Casimiro, J Lombardi, and Fogarty

     Date Introduced: March 10, 2022

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, Ed Cooley, the highly regarded head coach of the Providence College Friars

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Men's Basketball Team has become the school's first winner of the Big East Coach of the Year

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Award in the illustrious history of the Big East Conference, which began in 1979. This

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achievement becomes even more impressive when one considers that both Joe Mullaney and Rick

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Pitino, two of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, coached Providence College

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during the Big East era; and

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     WHEREAS, Coach Cooley has been the Friars Head Coach for the past eleven seasons,

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since 2011, and has compiled an outstanding 611 winning percentage and more than 200 wins

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thus far in his tenure at Providence College. He has taken Providence College to five NCAA

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Basketball Tournaments and two NIT Invitations in his sterling career with another NCAA berth

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a guarantee for the 2022 Tournament; and

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     WHEREAS, Coach Cooley's squad was picked to finish in seventh place in the pre-

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season poll. Instead, the Friars took the conference and the nation by surprise, compiling an

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outstanding 24-4 overall record thus far, a superb 14-3 regular season conference record, and

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winning the Friars 1st ever Big East Conference Men's Basketball regular season championship,

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and attaining the 1st seed in the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden; and

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     WHEREAS, Coach Cooley always gets the most out of his teams and seems to have a

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knack for coming up big in close games. In the current season, his squad has an incredible 11-2

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record in games decided by two possessions or less, or in overtime. Thanks to his tremendous

 

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leadership and outstanding coaching, Providence College is currently ranked 10th in the nation in

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the national Coaches Poll, and 11th in the country in the National AP Poll. At one point this

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season, the Friars reached a high of 8th in the national polls. For his myriad accomplishments,

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Coach Cooley was recognized by the Sporting News as its National Men's College Basketball

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Coach of the Year for the 2021-2022 Season; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

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congratulates Providence College Men's Basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley on being named the

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Big East Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year and moreover wishes him and his team

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the best of luck in the 2022 Big East Conference Basketball Tournament at Madison Square

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Garden; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Providence College Men's Basketball Coach Ed

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Cooley.

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