Georgetown basketball coach Ed Cooley suspended after throwing water bottle into stands, hitting child
Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley has been suspended for one game after he threw a water bottle that inadvertently hit a young fan, the school announced Sunday.
The Hoyas were trailing the Xavier Musketeers 80-77 on Saturday with under 5 seconds left in regulation when they missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Following the missed shot and after time expired, Cooley threw a plastic water bottle into the stands that hit a child sitting in his mother’s lap.
“I met with Coach Cooley today to discuss the incident which occurred after last night’s game against Xavier. I expressed that his conduct did not align with the standards we expect of our coaches, nor does it reflect the values of Georgetown Athletics or Georgetown University,” Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed said in a statement. “As a result, Coach Cooley will be suspended for the next game vs. Coppin State. Associate Head Coach Jeff Battle will coach the team.”
In his postgame news conference, Cooley said he would reach out to the family and apologize.
“Definitely out of character to be so frustrated, but really that’s not called for,” Cooley said. “I’ll call them and make amends to that. Just totally out of character, frustration.”
Cooley added in a statement Sunday: “I am deeply sorry for my actions during last night’s game, and sincerely apologize to the Nyahkoon family, whom I have known for years and regard as my own family. My conduct was unacceptable and does not represent who I am or the leader I strive to be.”
Cooley, 56, is in his third season as the Hoyas’ head coach.
He began his coaching career at Fairfield in 2006 before he took the head job at Providence in 2011. Cooley led the Friars until 2023, posting a 242-153 record in 12 seasons.
In two-plus seasons at Georgetown, Cooley has a 35-43 record, including an 11-31 mark in Big East play. With Saturday’s loss to the Musketeers, the Hoyas fell to 8-4 this season.
