Providence Coach: Chair Toss Technical Foul was ‘Wrong’
“Strange’’
“Ridiculous’’
“Wrong’’
Those were just some of the words used to describe a technical foul that went against No. 6 Providence in its 66-53 loss to No. 11 Dayton in the 2015 NCAA Tournament on Friday night. With his Friars trailing the Flyers, 50-42, deep into the second half, coach Ed Cooley was assessed a technical foul for knocking over a chair while delivering an impassioned speech to his team during a timeout.
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After initially expressing surprise at the call, Cooley and his assistant coaches pleaded with officials after the whistle, but to no avail.
“That’s wrong, that’s bad,’’ CBS announcer Doug Gottlieb said of the call during a replay. “You got to talk things through here when you’re an official. You got to be a reasonable person.’’
Providence would not pull any closer to Dayton after the technical was assessed, being outscored 16-11 over the final 4:28.
When asked about the technical foul during his postgame media availability, Cooley began his response by offering his version of the incident.
“Honest, I didn’t even know I hit the chair,’’ he told reporters. “You’re coaching your team. You’re trying to put some emotion into your team. You know, puts the official in a tough spot. And I was conversating with him and it was one of those things, it was more emotion, trying to fire my team up. I actually moved the chair out, I don’t know how it looked on tape or whatever. But I’m just trying to coach my team. That’s what that was about.’’
Before wrapping up his answer, Cooley categorized what happened as “wrong.’’
“Honestly, I thought it was, me personally, I’m a character guy. That to me was wrong, in my opinion, from my seat,’’ he said, “I’m coaching my team.’’
When subsequently asked whether he or the official was wrong, Cooley didn’t let the ref — or himself — off the hook for the incident.
“Both, apparently,’’ he responded, via SI.com.
Many watching felt that Cooley’s huddle histrionics could have — and should have — been ignored.
“That never ever gets a called a technical foul, ever,’’ ESPN.com college basketball reporter Eamonn Brennan said after the game. “For something that happens in a huddle, not directed at the refs, not directed at the other team, just a totally strange whistle in the first place.’’
To Chris Chase of For The Win, “strange’’ was not a strong enough adjective to describe the officiating decision. He referred to it as the “most ridiculous technical foul ever.’’
Amid such disapproval of the technical foul, NCAA coordinator of officials John Adams backed the call by citing a rule “on bench personnel committing unsportsmanlike acts,’’ in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
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