"I started to see what’s about to happen here, what’s on the cusp of happening here. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up." Kim English is introduced as the new head coach at Providence
When Providence Athletic Director Steve Napolillo introduced Kim English as his program’s new head coach on Wednesday, he spoke of very specific advice he received from fellow athletic directors upon taking the job. To paraphrase: always keep a list of three coaches in your desk drawer because you never know what could happen.
Napolillo certainly learned just how quickly things can change in his first year on the job.
Midway through English’s introductory comments to a jam-packed Alumni Hall crowd, he got a rise out of the room by noting that he feels like Providence College has what he had been “craving’ for a long time. He turned to Napolillo and said, “Steve, get rid of the list of the next three coaches.”
Honestly, who could have guessed we would be here a month ago? The program had been flipped on its proverbial head after its coach made the surprising move to Georgetown. You never know what could happen, indeed.
Napolillo sounds certain that he found the right man to lead the next phase of Friar basketball, sharing that English and new women’s head coach Erin Batth were set to “rewrite Providence College history.”
English has stated, both today and in the past, that he’d prefer to get to work than concern himself with winning the press conference, but as Friartown was reeling following the loss of Ed Cooley, Wednesday was clearly about looking ahead.
English may not be worried about winning the presser, but he undoubtedly set a tone of optimism and determination in this one, sharing how the PC job was an opportunity he couldn’t let get away. “Something different is going on here,” he shared.
“When we (English and the PC administration) talked, and I saw, and I studied, and I started to see what’s about to happen here — what’s on the cusp of happening here — it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
English thanked Ed Cooley for building a program founded on great habits and toughness, vowing to “hold true to the standard that Providence basketball has set — and we’re going to take it to the next level.”
He shared how a lesson learned from his playing career would shape who he is as a head coach:
“My goal in life was to get to the NBA. That was my dream. In college, I was obsessed about it. Every night in the gym, working on my game. I wanted to get to the NBA. And I got to the NBA and I lost that edge and that fire, and it was fatal in my career. One year in the NBA, two years in Europe, but I always knew I wanted to coach. When I got into coaching I vowed to never make that mistake again. The fire in me, in our staff, to win Big East Championships, to compete for National Championships, is never going to stop burning. And the beauty of this place is we have every single thing we need to get it done here: the fan support, the home court advantage, the facilities, the leadership, everything to get it done here. And we’re ready to get to work.”
Of course, getting to the next level will require both roster retention and acquisition. Yesterday, we learned that guards Alyn Breed and Corey Floyd Jr. will return, while the Pawtucket Times/Woonsocket Call’s Brendan McGair reported that redshirt freshman Quante Berry was back in the fold as well. Following English from George Mason will be former top 100 prospect Justyn Fernandez, a 6’5 wing who just completed his freshman year, as well as center Josh Oduro, a two-time 1st Team All A-10 performer, who led the league in scoring in 2022.
Providence was dealt an unsurprising blow when class of 2023 power forward Drew Fielder committed to Georgetown, while 2024 guard Kayvaun Mulready announced he would be a Hoya shortly after. Both were Friar commits under Cooley. PC also learned of Jayden Pierre’s intentions to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Yet, while the program was being hit with bad news last Tuesday afternoon into the early evening, English returned home from recruiting and challenged Pierre to a game of 1-on-1. If English won, Pierre stayed.
Caught on Instagram Live, a recording of the video eclipsed one million views by the morning, and English and Pierre were virtually everywhere.
Time will tell if Pierre reverses course. Of course, Providence has a pair of enormous decisions hanging over its head while we wait to hear of the intentions of Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter, both All Big East performers as sophomores this past season. Their decisions will dramatically change the outlook for next season, and would obviously be a huge early win for English. The Friars are an NCAA Tournament contender, once again, with Hopkins and Carter in the fold.
Regardless, Wednesday felt like an opportunity for Friartown to exhale a bit. English is in place, and optimism reigned on this afternoon.