Fairfield's Ed Cooley Named 2011 The Rock MAAC Coach of the Year
MAAC Sports
Bridgeport, Conn. - Fairfield University men's basketball head coach Ed Cooley has been named the 2011 The Rock MAAC Coach of the Year by his peers - the MAAC's head coaches.
Cooley, in his fifth season at the helm at Fairfield, led the Stags to an overall record of 23-6 and a 15-3 mark in the MAAC, en route to earning Fairfield's first MAAC regular season crown in 15 years and the top seed in the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Basketball Championship.
Cooley became the 11th head coach in the history of Fairfield when he accepted the position in April 2006. In his five seasons, Cooley has posted a 90-67 overall record, including a 23-11 mark in 2009-10. This year marks the sixth 20-win season in school history. The Stags are one win away from tying the highest win total in school history.
Last season, Cooley led the Stags to their first post-season berth since the 2003 season, and their first post-season win in more than 30 years. In that win, Fairfield set an NCAA Division I post-season record for biggest come back when the team erased a 27-point second-half deficit to defeat George Mason in overtime.
Cooley was the first recipient of the Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority men's basketball coach in the nation.
Cooley became the first Fairfield men's basketball coach to post a .500 or better record in MAAC play in each of his five seasons. The Stags own a 58-32 record in conference play since Cooley took over the helm.
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 served 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.
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
bid in five years.
Cooley played basketball from 1990-94 at Stonehill College. He was a three-year team captain with the Chieftans, and also captured Northeast-10 Academic Honor Roll accolades. He secured two Rhode Island High School Player of the Year awards before attending Stonehill College.