Sources: Providence to hire English as next HC

Providence has finalized a deal to make George Mason‘s Kim English the Friars’ next head coach, sources told ESPN.

English will sign a six-year contract, according to sources. The school had zeroed in on English as its top target in the week leading up to Ed Cooley’s departure for Georgetown, sources told ESPN, and an agreement was reached overnight into Thursday.

English spent the past two seasons as George Mason’s head coach, going 14-16 in 2021-22 before improving to 20-13 overall this season. The Patriots finished this season by winning their final six games of the regular season and their opening game of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament before falling to Saint Louis.

A Baltimore native, English is a former star player at Missouri, where he helped lead the Tigers to 107 wins and four NCAA tournament appearances. He was a two-time All-Big 12 selection at Missouri, averaging 11.1 points in his career. Selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, he spent three seasons playing professionally in the United States and overseas.

English got his coaching start as an assistant at Tulsa under his former college coach, Frank Haith. He then spent two seasons at Colorado under Tad Boyle before joining Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee.

English will follow in his former boss’ footsteps, as Barnes also once made the move from George Mason to Providence in 1988.

At Providence, English will replace Cooley, who left the school earlier this week after leading the Friars to seven NCAA tournament appearances in 12 seasons.