Providence has finally released an official statement on the hiring of Kim English:

 Providence College President Father Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P., and Athletics Director Steve Napolillo announced today (March 23) the appointment of Kim English as the head men’s basketball coach at the College. English, who becomes the 16th head coach at Providence College, comes to PC after spending the last two seasons as the head coach at George Mason University. English, along with the new women’s basketball head coach, Erin Batth, will be formally introduced at a press conference on Wednesday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. in the College’s Mullaney Gymnasium at Alumni Hall.

“Kim English is the ideal choice to lead our men’s basketball program, and I am delighted to welcome him to the Providence College community,” Father Sicard said. “He is a proven leader with an impressive record of commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes in programs that reflect his work ethic, integrity, and passion for excellence. Those characteristics reflect the ideals of Providence College, and I am excited for the future of Friar men’s basketball under Kim’s leadership.”

In two seasons as the head coach at George Mason, English has matched or set Atlantic 10 program bests.  During his second campaign in 2022-23, the Patriots matched program records for A-10 league victories (11) and A-10 Tournament seed (5).  George Mason won six-straight A-10 league contests for the first time in school history and seven-straight overall for first time since 2016-17. The Patriots reached the 20-win milestone for the first time since 2016-17.  Also in 2022-23, the Patriots set a school record for three-point field goal defense (.301, ranked 17th nationally) and also tallied their best scoring defense (67.3 ppg allowed) since 2012-13.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Kim English and his family to Friartown,” Napolillo said.  “Today, we begin a new era in the proud history of Providence College basketball.  As I was looking for a new head coach, I consulted some of the most knowledgeable people in the game, including Mike Tranghese and Rick Barnes.  I wanted to find an individual who represented passion and integrity as well as the many other values of Providence College.  That led me to Kim.  Kim is known as one of the best recruiters in the country and he is a rising star in college basketball.  He has had success at every level of basketball as a player and a coach.  I look forward to our program reaching new heights and having the opportunity to work with him as my teammate for many years to come.”

English began his coaching career as an assistant under Frank Haith at the University of Tulsa in 2015.  He spent two seasons (2015-17)  at Tulsa before being hired by Tad Boyle as an assistant coach at Colorado, where he worked for two years (2017-19).  In 2019, former Friar Head Coach Rick Barnes brought English to Tennessee as an assistant coach.  He was an assistant coach in Knoxville until 2021 when he became the head coach at George Mason.

“I am beyond excited to be named head men’s basketball coach at Providence College,” English said. “I want to thank Father Sicard and Steve Napolillo for this incredible opportunity.  I want to be clear to everyone in Friartown, we are going to do great things at Providence College for a long time.  I know that this is a special place with amazing fans, a great tradition and support throughout the community.  We look forward to establishing new relationships with the players, the alums and the fans.  The work begins now!”

A four-year letterman under coaches Mike Anderson and Frank Haith at Missouri from 2008-12, English scored more than 1,500 points and averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Tigers. He earned Third-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2010 and 2012, and Missouri won 107 games during his four-year career, making him and two teammates the winningest players in program history.  The Tigers won a school-record 31 games while making a run to the 2009 Elite Eight during English’s freshman campaign.  He averaged a career-best 14.5 points as a senior in 2011-12 and ranked fifth in the Big 12 with 78 three-point makes, while leading Missouri to 30 wins, one of two Big 12 Tournament titles during his career and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Big 12 Tournament after averaging 23.0 points and shooting 78 percent during the Tigers’ championship run.

The Detroit Pistons selected English with the 44th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, and he appeared in 41 games during the 2012-13 season.  He then spent two years playing professionally overseas and had a brief stint with the Chicago Bulls in 2014.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, English attended Randallstown High School and earned Baltimore Sun All-Metro honors, before playing his postgrad year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass.

He earned his degree in general studies from Missouri in 2012.

English has two daughters, Celine and Ari.

The press conference on Wednesday, March 29 is open to all Providence College fans and media.  The doors to Mullaney Gym will open at 10:30 a.m. for fans and media.
 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT KIM ENGLISH:

“I have tremendous love and respect for Kim English,” Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes said. “I also love Providence College. So, I couldn’t be more excited about Kim earning this opportunity—and he absolutely earned it. Going back to his days as a player, Kim’s competitive fire always stood out. We were fortunate to have him join our staff at Tennessee, and he brought a unique and powerful presence to our program. Kim has a gift for genuinely connecting with people—not just players, but people in general—and as a coach, he excels in every aspect. He challenges players in ways that inspire them to elevate their expectations for both themselves and their teammates. I can’t wait to see the trajectory of Friar basketball once Kim puts his fingerprints on that storied program.”

“There are home run hires, and there are grand slam hires,” Colorado Head Coach Tad Boyle said. “Kim English is a grand slam! His ability to connect with people is elite. Replacing Ed Cooley is a difficult task, nobody is more prepared to do it than Kim English.”

“My family has had the good fortune of knowing Kim since he was in high school,” Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly stated.  “The same passion and work ethic that saw him go from a lightly recruited high school player, to a NBA draft pick, has allowed him to ascend the coaching ranks. His obsession with the game, and his commitment to the development of his players both on and off the court, make him the perfect guy to lead Providence College.”