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Providence’s Ed Cooley joins staff for USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 World Championship team

Ed Cooley

Providence head coach Ed Cooley reacts to a call against Baylor during the second half of an NIT college basketball game in Waco, Texas, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Baylor won 79-68. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte)

AP

Yesterday, news broke that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was in discussions to return as the USA Olympic men’s basketball coach through the Rio 2016 Olympics.

On a smaller scale, earlier last week the Providence Journal reported that Providence head coach Ed Cooley will join Marquette head coach Buzz Williams and Tim Ryan, head coach from the College of Central Florida, as court coaches for the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 World Championship team training camp.

While Cooley won’t be working with Coach K, but rather Florida head coach Billy Donovan during the June 14-19 training camp held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, it’s clear he’s looked up to coaches like Krzyzewski and others, and had a burning desire to get involved with the program.

Cooley told Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal: “I feel honored and blessed just to be involved. It’s a chance to see some of our best young players and learn from some great coaches.”

Cooley is right on the mark because in some respects the USA Basketball’s World Championship teams are as much of an opportunity for the game’s brightest stars to grow as players as it is for up-and-coming coaches in the college game to expand their coaching abilities. Of course, Cooley is an established coach having nearly 20 years of experience under his belt--seven as a head coach with stops at Fairfield and now Providence--but working alongside Williams and Donovan can only benefit.

To go along with the three court coaches, Donovan’s two assistant coaches include Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart. Pretty good company Cooley finds himself in.

You can find Kevin on twitter @KLDoyle11