Men's Basketball

 Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." If that's true, only great things are in store for the Fairfield University men's basketball program because there is no one more enthusiastic than Head Coach Ed Cooley. If enthusiasm is contagious, then Ed Cooley is what is known as a carrier.

 No one can walk away from a conversation with Ed Cooley without feeling invigorated. He'll tell you that anything can be accomplished if you work hard and enjoy yourself while you are doing it. And most importantly, he backs up his words by practicing what he preaches as a recruiter, as a mentor, and as a coach.

 Cooley works hard from the time he steps off the bus to the time he gets back on the vehicle. Sometimes fans look away from the third-year head coach because they get tired just watching him parade up and down the sideline.

 Cooley became the 11th head coach in the history of Fairfield University when he accepted the position in April 2006. At the announcement news conference, Director of Athletics Eugene P. Doris pointed to Cooley's success as the reason he was standing in front of the Fairfield faithful. 

 He became the first Fairfield men's basketball coach to post a .500 or better record in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play in each of his first three seasons. The Stags own a 30-24 record in conference play since Cooley took over the helm. And, Fairfield has a 44-50 overall record under the Rhode Island native, quite an impressive mark when you consider Fairfield has played the likes of UConn, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Saint Joseph's, and Boston College.

 In his first year at the helm, Fairfield reached several successful benchmarks. The Stags posted a 10-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) record in 2006-07 and an 11-7 MAAC mark in 2007-08, the seventh and eighth winning seasons in Fairfield's 26-year association with the conference. And, Cooley became the first coach in school history to post a winning conference slate in his first two years at the helm.

 Fairfield also posted an impressive seven-game winning streak during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, the longest Fairfield win streak in 20 years (1986-87).

  All of this success is no surprise to anyone associated with the men's basketball program. Everyone knew that Cooley's past experience would help the program continue to grow and reach its goal of post-season play on a consistent basis. As an assistant coach, Cooley helped teams garner six NCAA tournament berths as well as a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) pick.

 Cooley's resume boasts coaching assignments at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1994-95), Stonehill College (1995-96), University of Rhode Island (1996-97), and Boston College (1997-2006). He served 10 years as an assistant coach under Al Skinner, beginning with his one-year stay at Rhode Island through his nine-year stint at Boston College.

 At Boston College, Cooley helped the Eagles post a 175-108 overall record, which included five 20-win seasons. The team captured the 2000-01 Big East championship, earning one of five NCAA tournament berths during Cooley's tenure. The Eagles also advanced to the NIT one time, giving the team six post-season appearances in nine seasons. In 2004-05, Boston College started the season with 20 straight victories, which established a school record for consecutive wins. In 2005-06, Boston College advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship game against Duke University.

 He was instrumental in the recruitment of Troy Bell, a two-time Big East Player of the Year. Bell also went on to play professional basketball after leaving Boston College, which included a stint in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies

 A graduate of Stonehill College, Cooley began his coaching career at UMass-Dartmouth where he helped the team post a 25-4 record and a number three national ranking. He returned to his alma mater for one season, before joining Coach Skinner's staff at the University of Rhode Island for the 1996-97 campaign. With his assistance, the Rams earned their second NCAA tournament bid in five years.

 Cooley played basketball from 1990-94 at Stonehill College. He was a three-year team captain with the Chieftans, and also captured Northeast-10 Academic Honor Roll accolades. He secured two Rhode Island High School Player of the Year awards before attending Stonehill College.

 Bob Simon begins his fourth season as the associate head coach at Fairfield University. He spent the six years at the University of Toledo, including three years as associate head coach.

 Simon joined the Rockets staff prior to the 2000-01 campaign as an assistant coach. He served three years as an assistant, before his promotion to associate head coach before the 2003-04 season.

 The Rockets had nothing but success during his six-year tenure, helping the program post three 20-win seasons. More importantly, Toledo captured two National Invitation Tournament berths (2001, 2004) during his stay in the Buckeye State.    

 The Rockets hit the national scene with wins over 14th-ranked Michigan State in 2003-04, which halted the Spartans 36-game home non-conference win streak.

 At Toledo, Simon's duties included scouting, coordinating an academic program, overseeing summer camps, and on-floor coaching.

 He was also the program's lead recruiter during his tenure. Simon helped Toledo breach new areas in recruiting, landing top-prospect players from Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and Philadelphia.

 Freshman players always made an immediate impact under Simon at Toledo. During his tenure, three freshmen earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors and another received a berth to the All-Freshman first team.

 Simon began his collegiate coaching career at Wayne State University, spending nearly a decade with the Warriors. He coached the men's team for five seasons as an associate head coach, and three seasons as an assistant coach.

 During his stay, Wayne State posted eight straight winning seasons, and reached the Division II Final Four in 1993. The Warriors captured three conference titles which led to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

 Wayne State won a school record 25 games in 1994, and came back to tie that standard in 1999. The 1994 squad posted a school-best 17-game winning streak. A key player on that 1994 team was Tony Goins, Simon's first recruit for the men's basketball program. Goins went on to become WSU's all-time leading scorer .

 After eight seasons with the men's program, Simon accepted a new challenge when he became the head women's basketball coach at Wayne State. In his one season with the women's team, Simon turned around the program by posting 13 wins. The team earned a conference tournament berth for the second time in history.

 Simon received his Bachelor of Science degree in manufacturing technology from Eastern Michigan University in 1989, and his master's degree in sports administration from Wayne State in 1997. Simon and his wife Donna have a daughter Bobbie  and a son Devin.