May 10, 2014

Championship Course: Cooley, Leaman inject stability into Friar programs

The Friars, including former standout God Shammgod, the team’s undergraduate student assistant coach, center, are jubilant after defeating No. 14th-ranked Creighton University, 65-58, in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game. 
The Friars, including former standout God Shammgod, the team’s undergraduate student assistant coach, center, are jubilant after defeating No. 14th-ranked Creighton University, 65-58, in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game.

By Brendan McGair ’03

In the minds of Providence College men’s basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley and men’s hockey Head Coach Nate Leaman, there is no such thing as a three-year plan. It’s simply a matter of full speed ahead for their programs.

Cooley and Leaman both were hired at PC in spring 2011 — Cooley from Fairfield University and Leaman from Union College, where each earned national and conference coaching honors. Every ounce of optimism and pride that they have poured into the Friars in their short tenures here has borne the choicest fruit.

The 2013-14 season will be remembered on many levels based on the numerous team and individual milestones both programs achieved — from the sweet shooting of Bryce Cotton ’14 (Tucson, Ariz.) that resulted in the first men’s basketball BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 20 years, to the nifty stick work of leading scorer Ross Mauermann ’15 (Janesville, Wisc.) that helped vault the PC icemen into the Top 10 in the national polls.

The winter season marked the first time in 13 years that these crown jewels of the athletics program qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the same year. Just how noteworthy is that? In 2014, the only other Division I program to field both a men’s basketball and men’s hockey entry in the NCAAs was Wisconsin.

Ross Mauermann ’15, skating against New Hampshire in the Hockey East Tournament semifinal game, led PC with 19 goals and 35 points this past season.
Ross Mauermann ’15, skating against New Hampshire in the Hockey East Tournament semifinal game, led PC with 19 goals and 35 points this past season.

When a Friar fan looks at what has transpired in three years, it’s amazing. Cooley and Leaman inherited programs that were viewed as rebuilding jobs. To each mentor’s credit, they have catapulted men’s basketball and men’s hockey into viability on a national scale.

“I think the culture and foundation has been set. Both go hand in glove,” stated Cooley, whose team’s win total has increased in each of the three years. In his first year, the Friars finished with a 15-17 record. This past year, PC posted its first 20-win season in a decade, finishing with 23 — the most since the 1996-97 team won 24 contests.

“Our guys have had back-to-back winning seasons, and now we’re trying to put it together to get back to the (NCAA) tournament,” said Cooley. PC had last appeared in the NCAAs in 2004.

Like Cooley, Leaman’s hockey Friars have posted consecutive winning seasons following a sub-.500 finish in year one. In 2014, PC qualified for the Hockey East Tournament semifinals for the third straight year and fell one game short of reaching the NCAA Frozen Four, winning a game in the tournament for the first time since 1991.

“Right now, the big thing for us is continuing to build the culture that we want in order to sustain success at the school,” said Leaman. “There’s a lot of credit to pass around, but we feel Providence College has the potential to be a Top-20 program regularly.”

LaDontae Henton ’15, seen here in the NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, is expected to be one of three returning starters next season.
LaDontae Henton ’15, seen here in the NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, is expected to be one of three returning starters next season.

Rest assured that neither Cooley nor Leaman is going to stand content. Both are going to continue pounding the recruiting pavement so that the Friars can build on what has been accomplished and sustain it at a championship level.

With solid corps of veterans returning, promising recruiting classes, and a culture of stability and confidence established by their coaching leaders, the future appears bright for Friar men’s basketball and men’s hockey.

“I think people are excited, and for the right reasons,” said Cooley. “I think our players have shown a commitment to excellence, but when you lay a foundation, now you’ve got to get lucky. When you have an opportunity to get lucky, you move forward.”

“I’ve never been a timetable person,” said Leaman. “My goal is to improve the program in little steps and build it so it can sustain success. We want to get to a certain level where we’re close to the peak of winning a championship. It takes a lot of work, but if you build things the right away, it’s going to be there to sustain.”

Brendan McGair ’03 is a freelance writer from Cranston, R.I. 

AT A GLANCE

2013-14 Men’s Basketball 

Overall: 23-12
BIG EAST: 10-8 (tied for 3rd)

BIG EAST Tournament

  • Quarterfinals: Defeated St. John’s, 79-74
  • Semifinals: Defeated Seton Hall, 80-74
  • Finals: Defeated No. 14 Creighton, 65-58

NCAA Tournament

  • East Region, Second Round: Lost to North Carolina, 79-77

Bryce Cotton ’14 individual honors

  • Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America
  • BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player
  • First Team All-BIG EAST
  • Lute Olson All-America Team
  • NBC Sports.com Second Team All-America
  • NABC All-District 5 First Team
  • USBWA All-District I First Team
  • Cox Sports R.I. Men’s Division I Player of the Year — Bill Reynolds Award

Kadeem Batts ’14 individual honor

  • Second Team All-BIG EAST

Coach Ed Cooley individual honors

  • Finalist, 2014 Jim Phelan Award to top Division I Coach
  • 2013-14 Cox Sports R.I. Basketball Coach of Year — Joe Mullaney Award

Team honor

  • 2013-14 Cox Sports R.I. Basketball Team of the Year — Dave Gavitt Award 

2013-14 Men’s Hockey

Overall: 22-11-6

Hockey East: 11-7-2 (3rd place)

Hockey East Tournament

  • Quarterfinals (best-of-3): Defeated Maine, 2 games to 0 (Game 1: 3-1; Game 2: 4-2)
  • Semifinals: Lost to New Hampshire, 3-1

NCAA Tournament

  • East Regional Semifinal: Defeated Quinnipiac, 4-0
  • East Regional Final: Lost to Union, 3-1

Ross Mauermann ’15 honors and accolades

  • Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star
  • Hockey East Co-Defensive Forward of the Year
  • Hockey East Individual Sportsmanship Award

Mark Jankowski ’16 honor

  • NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team