Providence College has made a significant move to bolster their men’s basketball program, hiring Kim English as their new head coach. English has gained a reputation as a talented coach after serving as an assistant at Tulsa, Colorado, and most recently, George Mason. The six-year deal he has reportedly signed is indicative of the school’s faith in his ability to bring success to the team. English expressed his excitement at the opportunity to lead the program in a statement released by the school. With this new appointment, the future of the Providence Friars is looking bright.
Providence College’s search for a new coach has come to an end as they have reached an agreement with Kim English, ESPN reports. Sources say that English was the top target for the program, and an agreement was made just in time for his official appointment on Thursday. The statement released by Providence College Vice President and Director of Athletics Bob Napolillo praised English’s passion, integrity, and success as both a player and a coach. English’s reputation as one of the best recruiters in the country makes him a valuable asset to the team. Fans can only wait with anticipation to see how the program will evolve under English’s leadership.
Mike English has had a successful run as George Mason’s head coach in the past two seasons, which saw the team’s record improve from 14-16 to 20-13 this year. English is a Baltimore native and a former star player at Missouri, where he helped lead the Tigers to four NCAA tournament appearances. His talent on the court eventually landed him a spot on the Detroit Pistons’ roster after being selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. Though his time as a professional player was brief, his skills and knowledge of the game have undoubtedly been instrumental in his coaching career. Under his leadership, George Mason finished this season with a six-game winning streak before narrowly falling to Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. With his impressive track record, there’s no doubt that English will continue to make waves in the college basketball world.
As they say, sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know. That was certainly the case for English, who got his start in coaching as an assistant under his former college coach, Frank Haith, at Tulsa. From there, he spent two seasons at Colorado, honing his craft under Tad Boyle. But it was when he joined Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee that English’s coaching career really took off. And now, English is set to take his talents to Providence, following in the footsteps of Barnes, who made the same move back in 1988. For English, it’s clear that his connections and relationships in the coaching world have helped shape and guide his career thus far.
Providence College’s basketball program is undergoing a change as it bids farewell to former head coach Ed Cooley and welcomes in its new leader, Brett English. Despite Cooley’s success in leading the Friars to multiple NCAA tournament appearances over the last decade, English is confident that he and his team will do great things in the years to come. As he takes the reins, English is excited to get to know the players, alumni, and fans, and to build on the program’s already impressive tradition. With such a strong foundation and support from the community, Providence is surely in good hands with Coach English at the helm.
