The Friars have found their next leader of the men’s basketball program, and that is 34-year-old Kim English. The announcement came Thursday AM, ending a trying few days for the program. English comes to PC after being the head man at George Mason for the past two seasons. Prior to that, English served as an assistant at Tennessee, Colorado, and Tulsa. English was a decorated college player for the University of Missouri, where he was a 2x Big 12 All-Conference 3rd team selection, 2012 Big 12 Tournament MOP and led the Tigers to a 2-seed in NCAA Tournament his senior year. He was then drafted to the NBA by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. His professional career, which included stops in France, Italy, and Venezuela, was brief but he learned immediately as a professional that he wanted to get into coaching.
So, what kind of coach is Providence College getting in Kim English? Check out this Sports Illustrated article written by Kevin Sweeney back in 2021, English’s first season at George Mason.
Kim English: George Mason basketball turns to young, smart hire – Sports Illustrated
Want to see a little more on what Kim English is about? Check out his introductory press conference at George Mason.
Friartown is getting a man that is full of energy, passionate about the game of basketball and building teams, and a man who continues to be a student of the game. He is also guy who will lace them up and participate in drills at practice!
They are also getting a guy that is known as a great recruiter. At Tennessee he helped land 5-star recruits Keon Johnson, Jayden Springer, and Kennedy Chandler. He also landed Jahmai Mashack, who has stepped up big in the absence of Zakai Ziegler in this NCAA Tournament.
Now English enters the fray as head coach of a Providence basketball program that is at a critical juncture. Providence has been to the NCAA Tournament 7 times in the last 9 full seasons. It would have been 8 in the last 10 years had it not been for Covid-19. The facilities, the fan support, the length of consistent success has never been greater at Providence.
Kim’s first order of business will be to try and recoup as much of the core roster that he possibly can. If he is able to keep Bryce Hopkins, Devin Carter, Alyn Breed, Rafael Castro, Corey Floyd Jr, and Jayden Pierre, it could set himself up to have a nice first season. He could also try to keep Providence’s recruiting class intact, despite the recent decommitments of Garwey Dual and Drew Fielder. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he hit the ground running in the recruiting trail, whether it be the portal or high school players.
When Ed Cooley departed for Georgetown many Friar fans wanted to make a splash hire given the investment. Athletic Director Steve Napollilo was put in a tough situation trying to replace the second most winningest coach in PC history. The hiring of Kim English may not be received as a splash hire, but make no mistake the Friars got a fast-rising star in the coaching ranks.
All of this doesn’t mean that the hiring of Kim English doesn’t come without any risk. Of course, there is risk! The man is 34 years old and entering a conference where he has to go up against some of the best coaches in the sport with Rick Pitino, Sean Miller, Thad Matta, and Shaka Smart. However, based on his NBA experience, his relatability to the players, cutting his teeth being an assistant coach and then leading George Mason the past two seasons I think he may be worth the gamble. It has been said that Steve Nap would swing for the fences with the next coach of Providence College, time will tell but he might’ve hit a home run!