Providence College is a predominantly Roman Catholic university known as (and led by) the Friars. Although they are taught to lead with love, there is a deep-rooted dislike for Ed Cooley in Rhode Island.
The former head basketball coach left his home town after 12 years to take the same job at Georgetown.
Thus, anyone who leaves Providence College for Georgetown University is considered a traitor. Friar Damian will not be one of those people. He entered the transfer portal for his PhD and teased a commitment to the Hoyas. However, he flipped his decision at the last second to the delight of his fellow members of mendicants.
If none of this makes any sense to you so far, you are not alone. I will explain. Stay with me.
Let’s start with Cooley. The former Big East and Naismith College Coach of the Year took over at Providence in 2011. The Rhode Island-native left for Washington D.C. in 2023.
Friars fans were absolutely ruthless toward him in his first return to the Dunk. They were just as rowdy during his second trip back earlier this year. A man who was once beloved is no longer liked.
But what does any of this have to do with Friar Damian?
Father Simon Teller is the head chaplain at Providence College and a viral sensation on social media. He has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. His videos are some of the best content on the internet.
Just as an example, this is how he reminds people not to eat meat on Fridays during Lent:
Father Simon taught the basketball team everything it knows.
His most-viewed video played into a viral trend at the end of November. He and his fellow Friars (the literal Friars) took part in drills alongside the basketball team prior to its trip to the Bahamas.
Unfortunately, Friar Damian made the difficult decision to enter the transfer portal after the season. He is going to pursue his PhD at a different school with hopes of one day returning to the Ocean State.
Father Simon helped Friar Damian to announce his decision at a commitment ceremony earlier this week. Friar Damian hit them with a pump fake and pretended to join Cooley at Georgetown before he announced the real destination. His fellow man of faith were devastated!
North Carolina was also on the table for the ceremony, which means Hubert Davis missed out on yet another point guard. The Cavaliers are getting a good one!