Providence intends to fire men’s basketball coach Kim English when the Friars’ season ends, a source briefed on the decision confirmed.
The Friars, who are 14-16 overall and 7-12 in conference play, wrap up the regular season Saturday at Georgetown. The Big East tournament starts next week in New York.
With a 78-56 loss to Marquette, another struggling Big East program, on Wednesday night, English’s record at Providence dropped to 47-50 overall and 23-36 in conference play. Providence is in seventh place in the Big East and is on track to miss the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
When asked for comment, Providence released a statement from athletic director Steve Napolillo saying,”Kim English is the coach of the Friars and with all our coaches, I will evaluate at the end of the season. We have one game left and the Big East tournament.”
Adam Zagoria first reported the news that English is expected to be let go.
Before taking over the Friars in 2023, English, 37, spent two seasons as the head coach at George Mason, where he went 34-29 but did not make the NCAA Tournament. When Providence hired him, Napolillo praised English as one of the game’s top recruiters and a rising star in college basketball coaching.
English did well in his first season at Providence, leading the Friars to 21 wins and an NIT appearance while coaching Devin Carter to Big East Player of the Year honors. But things quickly went downhill, as Providence went just 12-20 last season.
There was pressure on English to get to the NCAA Tournament this year, which he was well aware of. Former coach Ed Cooley — now at Georgetown — had taken Providence to seven of the previous nine NCAA Tournaments, including his final two years at the school.
There was hope that highly touted freshman Jamier Jones would be able to help the Friars to the NCAA Tournament this year. That hasn’t panned out, and Providence has struggled in a top-heavy Big East.
English, who played at Missouri from 2008 to 2012 before a brief professional career, is 81-79 (.506) in five years as a head coach.