Georgetown suspended coach Ed Cooley for one game after he hit a child in the stands with a water bottle in a moment of frustration, according to a school statement Sunday.
After Malik Mak missed the decisive three-pointer at the siren of his team 80-77 loss to Xavier on Saturday at Washington, Cooley squeezed out a bottle of water and threw it towards the stands. The bottle hit a child who was being held by a woman sitting several rows behind the team bench.
Cooley immediately apologized after the game and said he would contact the family. According to the school, he will be suspended for the team's next game against Coppin State, and Jeff Battle, associate head coach, will take over in his absence.
In a statement, Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed said Cooley's behavior did not meet school standards.
“I met with Coach Cooley today to discuss the incident that occurred after yesterday's game against Xavier,” Reed said. “I said his behavior did not meet the standards we expect of our coaches and did not reflect the values of Georgetown Athletics or Georgetown University. As a result, Coach Cooley will be suspended for the next game against Coppin State.”
The Big East supported the school's decision in a statement Sunday.
“We have been in contact with Georgetown leadership and support their decision to suspend men's basketball head coach Ed Cooley for his actions following yesterday's game against Xavier,” the league said. “The safety of spectators and participants at Big East events is of the utmost importance and is fundamental to the enjoyment of our games.”
The loss was Georgetown's fourth in the last seven games. Cooley's team won 18 games last season, double what they did in his first year in 2023-24. In his third season this year, Cooley hopes to improve a program that hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2020-21 season. But the Hoyas had to go through a rough patch last month. The incident at the Xavier game highlighted the team's recent instability.
On Sunday, Cooley apologized again in a statement following his suspension. He also said he is close to the family of the child who was hit by the water bottle.
“I deeply regret my actions during yesterday's game and sincerely apologize to the Nyakun family, who I have known for many years and consider my family,” Cooley said. “My behavior was unacceptable and does not reflect who I am or the leader I aspire to be. I also want to apologize to the Georgetown community, the team, the fans, the league and my family. I take full responsibility for my actions and their consequences. “I will learn from this experience to ensure it never happens again.”
Cooley, who is 35-43 at Georgetown, will return for his team's match against St. John's on New Year's Eve.
