Providence Friars & Head Coach Kim English Mutually Part-Ways
- Ben Smith
- 56 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Kim English is out as head coach of the Friars after three seasons, finishing with an overall record of 48–52. In a statement released Friday, the school said, “We appreciate Kim and his staff for their efforts over the past three seasons leading our men’s basketball team, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future.” The statement was issued by Providence Athletic Director Steve Napolillo.
Kim English, the successor to longtime Ed Cooley, took over as head coach of the Providence Friars in 2023 after Cooley departed Providence to coach Big East rival Georgetown Hoyas.
The first season under Kim English started strong for the Providence Friars, highlighted by several big upsets that helped the Friars climb to No. 23 in the national rankings. However, the season took a devastating turn when forward Bryce Hopkins, who was averaging 15.5 points per game, suffered a torn ACL. The injury was a major blow to the team, and at the time, it felt like the momentum Providence had built was suddenly gone.
Despite the setback, English guided the Friars to a 21–14 record in his first season at the helm, earning a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. That season, Providence was led by point guard Devin Carter, who averaged 19.7 points per game, won Big East Player of the Year honors in the Big East Conference, and later became an NBA lottery pick when he was selected 13th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2024 NBA Draft.
From that point on, it appeared the Providence Friars were in good hands. With a young head coach leading the program, strong success in the transfer portal, and the ability to land some of the top players in the country, the future looked promising. However, the results since then have been a roller coaster.
The 2024 Friars season turned into a major disappointment, as Providence finished just 12–20 overall and 6–14 in Big East Conference play, falling well short of expectations and raising questions about the direction of the program. Eventually, their Forward Bryce Hopkins, who appeared in 3 games in 2024, transferred to Big East rival St. John’s.
Now entering his third season with the Providence Friars, Kim English brought in two of the top-100 high school prospects in the nation, Jamier Jones and Jaylen Harrell, while also adding five four-star transfers through the portal. Expectations were high, and Providence showed early promise with a 7–4 start before the beginning of Big East Conference play. Once conference play began, however, everything started to fall apart, as the Friars struggled to hold leads and repeatedly showed poor defensive performances.
The turning point came on January 24, when the Georgetown Hoyas defeated Providence 81–78 after the Friars blew a 21-point second-half lead. The loss gave former Providence head coach Ed Cooley his first victory at Amica Mutual Pavilion as Georgetown’s head coach. Fans loudly booed following the collapse, and students later took to the streets calling for English’s dismissal. English’s final game as a head coach was on Thursday against St. John’s where they lost 85-72.
Providence has announced that they’re currently on a nationwide search for a new Head Coach for the 2026-27 season.
