Georgetown basketball is one of the few programs that has a legitimate history—you can read each of their seasons as chapters in some overarching narrative, rather than merely entries in a Basketball Reference spreadsheet. This is the program of Big John Thompson and Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson that managed to turn a patrician private university into the coolest team in the nation. At least it was. But after a disastrous six year tenure from school legend-turned-coach Patrick Ewing  pushed the school to the bottom of the Big East and the edge of oblivion, Georgetown is reportedly going all out to woo Providence basketball coach Ed Cooley to come be their savior.

One of the most widely respected coaches in the country, Cooley is a natural fit for Georgetown. Since 1972, Georgetown's coach has either been John Thompson or one of John Thompson's literal or figurative sons. Cooley fits within that tradition; he's publicly said that he considers Thompson one of his main mentors and heroes.

Since taking over as the Providence basketball coach in 2011, Cooley has turned the Friars from a Big East after-thought into one of the conference's most consistent programs—Providence has made the NCAA Tournament seven times in 12 seasons under Cooley and would've made it an eighth time if not for COVID in 2020.

Although Cooley has only won three NCAA Tournament games during this span, this still counts as a recent golden age for a Providence basketball program that lacks the resources of, say, Georgetown. In 2021, Providence won the Big East regular season title for the first time ever and made their first Sweet 16 since 1997; in 2014, they won the Big East Tournament, their first since 1994.

While Cooley has long resisted overtures from big programs, he has strong ties to Georgetown. Beyond his relationship with Thompson, Cooley's daughter is a senior at Georgetown. If personal connections alone can't sway Cooley to leave Providence, the Georgetown basketball braintrust is hoping that money will. Allegedly, Georgetown has offered Ed Cooley upwards of $5 million a year, which would make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the country.