On Sunday morning, Providence head coach was named the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year. Cooley was previously named Big East Coach of the Year in March. He became the first Providence coach to win either award.
Other finalists included Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Wisconsin’s Greg Gard, and Texas Tech’s Mark Adams. Providence defeated both Wisconsin and Texas Tech in the regular season, and the Friars finished with a 27-6 record, their best since 1974.
Under Cooley, Providence won the Big East regular-season title for the first time in program history. Their 14-3 conference record was their best ever, with 14 wins breaking the record of 12 that was set under Cooley in 2020.