Georgetown’s Ed Cooley challenges young reporters to ask tough questions

Ed Cooley has been a college coach since he began as an assistant at UMass-Dartmouth in 1994. He got his start as a head coach at Fairfield in 2006, which has led him to his current gig at the helm of the prestigious Georgetown.

The 54-year-old Cooley has been doing press conferences for nearly two decades. He’s likely seen and fielded his fair share of questions from young, student journalists. But the expectations are a bit different at Georgetown than they were at Providence, or say Fairfield.

And Cooley, he gets that. His feet are going to be held to the fire, especially in the way he decided to leave the small Rhode Island institution.

After his Hoyas lost 71-60 to a Rutgers squad that is strongly considered to be an NCAA Tournament team this season, Cooley bemoaned about the demeanor (or lack thereof) of some of the reporters in the room. But this wasn’t his Jim Boeheim moment. No, instead of being condescending and dismissive, Cooley challenged reporters to ask him the tough questions.

Cooley wasn’t trying to lecture any of the young reporters in the room or tell them how to do their jobs. Instead, he was challenging them to challenge him.

“The only way you’re going to get better is by having the courage to ask a question in these types of situations,” Cooley said. “So when you guys are sitting there, don’t just sit there like a lump on a log. Have a great question. Grow up and learn what it is to ask a tough question.”

“Seriously. We owe you an answer, or you owe yourself an opportunity to grow. I say that to all of you young writers. Don’t sit in here and just be in awe. This shit is real. Grow up. You’re in the room. Learn how to ask some questions.”

#Georgetown HC Ed Cooley with some advice to the young writers in the room tonight.

“This shit is real.” pic.twitter.com/Tk5HEKtYXJ

— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | TheKnightReport.Net (@RutgersRivals) November 16, 2023

Any way you slice it, this is a terrific piece of advice to young journalists.

You can’t be afraid to ask the tough questions, because part of the job is asking tough questions. If that tough question means you have to take Cooley to task on a night his team shot 35.3 percent from the field (18-of-51) and turned the ball over 18 times, then so be it. But you can also be respectful while doing so. There’s a happy balance, and one that coaches are generally receptive to.

Cooley’s message to young journalists is clear: don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. It’s part of the job to hold people accountable, and it’s the only way you’re going to learn and grow as a reporter. These young reporters owe themselves an opportunity to grow. And Cooley wants to afford it to them.

[Rutgers Rivals on X]