Kim English may or may not return as the head college basketball coach at Providence beyond this year. The 36-year-old is going to finish below .500 during his second regular season with the program after an awful loss to DePaul on Wednesday night as the seat on which he sits continues to heat up.
To make matters worse, he allegedly chirped back at a fan who expressed displeasure with yet another poor performance.
English was hired to replace Ed Cooley in March of 2023 and won 21 college basketball games (10-10 in the Big East) during his first season but the Friars lost in the first round of the NIT. However, they will finish no better than 13-14 in Year 2 and, barring a miraculous run during the Big East Tournament, will not qualify for any of the postseason tournaments. The fans in Rhode Island are not happy.
Considering that English signed a contract extension to extend his deal back to a six-year term in April, Providence is likely going to give him at least one more year. But he is not doing himself any favors.
According to a fan in attendance, Kim English got into it with a heckler on Wednesday night. The exchange went something like this:
Fan in crowd: “Maybe next year you’ll learn how to coach!”
English: “Come down and say it to my face.”
I was not at the game so I can neither confirm nor deny what supposedly went down during the second half of a three-point loss to DePaul. I can only go off of first-hand accounts and there seem to be more than one witness.
A reporter in attendance either saw the exchange with his own eyes or caught wind of the exchange through social media. He asked English a question during the postgame press conference about what happened. English said “nothing” — and nothing more. An awkward silence ensued.
I find it hard to believe that Kim English was telling the truth based on his body language and brevity. It feels like he was trying to move on as quickly as possible, which only creates even more suspicion and confusion about a situation that reflects poorly on a Division-I college basketball coach in the middle of a guaranteed losing season. To claim that “nothing” happened all-but confirms that something happened.
And to go even one step further, English essentially threw his players under the bus for a lack of execution during the loss— especially Corey Floyd, who scored a game-high 25 points with eight rebounds and two assists. Perhaps the issue with Providence basketball is not its best player. Perhaps Kim English should take a look in the mirror. Otherwise his six-year deal could soon become irrelevant.