Money makes losing easier for Ed Cooley.
The Georgetown basketball coach laughed off a fan mocking his team’s lousy performance and his large salary Wednesday night during a road loss to Seton Hall by referencing his bank account.
The Pirates fan yelled at Cooley, “that’s $7 million per win,” according to The Asbury Park Press.
Cooley, with a smile, fired back.
“You know what, I’m rich as a motherf–ker,” Cooley responded. “I’m rich as s–t.”
The $7 million remark is in reference to Cooley’s new salary as the Hoyas head coach, although Front Office Sports reports it’s closer to $6 million.
The “per win” line referred to Georgetown’s 1-10 mark in the Big East, ahead of only hapless DePaul.
Cooley said after the 76-70 setback, Georgetown’s seventh straight loss, that the exchange didn’t faze him.
“Nothing gets under my skin, man,” Cooley said, per the Asbury Park Press. “Think about this: I coach in the Big East at Georgetown University. What can get under my skin?”
He added: “Kids are going to be kids. I have a problem when adults don’t act like adults. When they’re students, say whatever you want. I always try to have a good interaction with the kids. You know what, they deserve a comment every now and then. Why not have some fun with them? The game was already over and you know what? They all got a pretty good chuckle out of it.”
Cooley and the Hoyas will continue to catch flak until the program returns to relevancy.
Georgetown, once a flag bearer in the Big East, has been irrelevant for years but is hoping Cooley can help turn around their fortunes like he did with Providence and Fairfield.
The Hoyas lured Cooley with a big salary, which ruffled some feathers in the Big East, and his team is taking its bumps this year with an 8-14 record.
Cooley continues to insist there are better days ahead while the losses add up, with another daunting game coming Saturday when No. 1 UConn heads to Washington D.C.