Providence is progressing toward a contract extension with head coach Ed Cooley, Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal reports.
Cooley is locked up through the 2021 season, and is coming off his fifth year at the Friars' helm.
Cooley led Providence to its first victory in the NCAA tournament since 1997 with a first-round triumph over USC at the beginning of the month. Under him, the Friars have reached the Big Dance in each of the last three seasons.
The 46-year-old has been credited with developing Kris Dunn into a top NBA prospect, with sophomore Ben Bentil not too far behind. Overall, Cooley's Friars have posted a 103-67 mark during his tenure.
The school's urgency to get an extension done could relate to other job openings. McNamara notes that Cooley's name was linked on some level to the Pitt vacancy before it was filled by ex-Vanderbilt boss Kevin Stallings, and is being whispered around Georgia Tech, which still has an opening.
