Big East Basketball: Ranking all 11 head coaches after Pitino/English hires

11. Kim English – Providence

English is by far the newest member of the Big East coaching contingent, but even as the bottom man on this list he’s no slacker. English was a star guard at Missouri just over a decade ago, winning a pair of Big 12 titles and winning a boatload of games with the Tigers. After a brief professional career, one in which he was drafted late by the Detroit Pistons in 2012, he began his coaching career on Frank Haith’s staff at Tulsa. After brief stints as an assistant at Tulsa, Colorado, and Tennessee, English began his head coaching career at George Mason in 2021.

Since he’s new this season to Providence, we can only reflect on his two seasons leading that Patriots program. He inherited a George Mason team that wasn’t in great shape and certainly leaves the program in better condition than what he found it in. After a decent first season, he led George Mason to 20 wins and a 5th place conference finish, albeit in a down year for the A-10. English was then hired by Providence less than a week ago to replace the outgoing Ed Cooley.

English is the only head coach in the conference who has never worked in the Big East and there likely will be some sort of adjustment period for him and this program. The Friars have been in fantastic shape in recent years under Cooley’s, but there’s certainly signs that English can continue some of that positive momentum. Years from now, he could find himself several spots higher on this type of list, but for now he’s the new guy in the room hoping to continue a tradition of good basketball in Rhode Island.