Georgetown Head Basketball Coach Ed Cooley Suspended After Throwing Water Bottle Into Stands That Hit Child

Ed Cooley

Georgetown Head Basketball Coach Ed Cooley Suspended After Throwing Water Bottle Into Stands That Hit Child

Sports can sometimes make you a little frustrated.

#Georgetown men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley has been suspended for one game after he threw a water bottle into the crowd following the Hoyas’ 80–77 loss to #Xavier on Saturday (Dec. 20).

The bottle appeared to strike a mother and child sitting a few rows behind the team’s bench at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., just after Georgetown missed a potential game tying three pointer with under five seconds left. Associate head coach Jeff Battle will lead the team for their next game against Coppin State while Cooley serves his suspension.

At a postgame press conference, Cooley apologized directly to the family affected, saying he was “really frustrated” and acknowledged the impact of his actions. “Definitely out of character to be so frustrated, but really that’s not called for,” he said, adding that he planned to personally make amends and also apologized to “the fans, our players, the university.” Georgetown’s athletic director Lee Reed said Cooley’s conduct “did not align with the standards we expect of our coaches” or reflect the values of the university. The Big East Conference also backed the decision, stressing that spectator and participant safety at league events is essential.

#TJBCrew, was this consequence fair?