Providence expected to fire Kim English: 6 head coaching candidates for the Friars

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.

6 candidates to replace English at Providence

(Candidates are in alphabetical order.)

Joe Gallo, head coach, Merrimack: The 46-year-old New Jersey native is having his best season yet at his alma mater, leading the Warriors to 21 wins and the regular-season MAAC title. Merrimack should’ve made the NCAA Tournament under Gallo in 2023, when it won the NEC tournament — but didn’t because it was still within the five-season window of transitioning to Division I (which Gallo oversaw in 2019). But Merrimack is well-positioned to get there this season and earn its first berth to the Big Dance.

Gallo has been linked to Boston College, should the Eagles’ job come open in the next week or so, but he checks a lot of boxes for Providence, too, between his youth, regional ties and immediate success in DI.

Bryan Hodgson, head coach, South Florida: A fast-riser from Nate Oats’ coaching tree, Hodgson has the Bulls 21-8 and in position to win the American in his first season in Tampa. The soon-to-be 49-year-old also went 45-28 in two seasons at Arkansas State, and will be in the mix for a few high-major openings this cycle. Industry chatter has linked Hodgson to Syracuse for the past few weeks — he’s originally from Western New York — but Providence is arguably just as attractive a job, and still in a region where Hodgson has ties. His high-major experience with Oats in Tuscaloosa helps his case.

Porter Moser, head coach, Oklahoma: After going the up-and-comer route with English, it wouldn’t be shocking if Providence wanted someone a bit more established. Enter Moser, who has had success at a Catholic school before (Loyola Chicago), and who could be looking for a soft landing spot. The 57-year-old made the NCAA Tournament with the Sooners last season despite a glaring lack of resources by SEC standards, and given his history as a talent evaluator, would seemingly put Providence’s NIL budget to good use.

Moser doesn’t have any Big East (or Northeast) experience, but the Friars could do a lot worse than someone with high-major experience and a Final Four berth on his resume.

Luke Murray, assistant coach, UConn: It’s only a matter of time until Murray gets a high-major gig, so he can afford to be choosy. And while Big East jobs don’t come open every day, will he really want to jump to a league rival? As a candidate, though, Murray is one of the sharpest offensive minds in college basketball, and the 40-year-old has been integral to the Huskies’ success on that end of the floor.

The timing of Providence’s opening complicates things. Would Murray leave a potential national title team before the NCAA Tournament, like when Jai Lucas left Duke in March last year for Miami? Murray would almost have to if he wants to be competitive in year one with the Friars. This would be a coup for Providence — but maybe not the best fit (or timing) for Murray.

Josh Schertz, head coach, Saint Louis: Schertz is going to be listed for just about every prominent high-major job that opens this cycle. Saint Louis is 27-3, ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and should be one of the feistiest mid-majors in the NCAA Tournament. But is this the job that lures Schertz out of a great situation? Providence isn’t a bad job by any means — especially with the resources English had at his disposal — but industry speculation is growing that the 50-year-old might not jump at all this spring, with no top-20 jobs expected to open. Still, Providence should inquire.

Travis Steele, head coach, Miami (Ohio): Steele’s first stint as a Big East head coach didn’t go great, as he went 70-50 in four seasons at Xavier without an NCAA Tournament appearance. But his success at Miami (Ohio) this season — the RedHawks are the last unbeaten team in DI — will undoubtedly earn him another chance at the high-major level if he wants it. Steele doesn’t have many geographic ties to the Northeast, having spent almost all of his career in the Rust Belt, but prior Big East head coaching experience is a huge mark in his favor. Then again, maybe Miami just keeps winning, and Providence can’t afford to wait for him.