Kim English served on the Tennessee basketball staff from 2019 to 2021, a time when the Vols were gaining momentum under Rick Barnes. He was part of the 2021 team that went 18-9 and secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament, only to see their run cut short with a 70-56 loss to a surging Oregon State squad in the Round of 64.
After the 2021 season, English was offered the George Mason head coaching job, where he spent two seasons running the program. He went 34-29 overall and won 20 games in his second season. Ed Cooley had a messy breakup at Providence and moved on to Georgetown, so they offered Kim English the job, but it has not gone to plan. English in his first two years at Providence was very mediocre. In 2023-24, they went 21-14 and made the NIT, where they were bounced in the first round. Last year, they went 12-20, and this year the Friars are 14-16, once again staring at a losing season.
In light of this, Providence has reportedly decided to fire the former Vol assistant English.
Providence coach Kim English already told he's fired during horrendous season https://t.co/6O04FbA9sw pic.twitter.com/KCGpP1UaDV
— New York Post (@nypost) March 5, 2026
Could Kim English make a return to Tennessee?
I would not be shocked to see Barnes bring back English in some sort of capacity this offseason. I'm not sure what English's aspirations are, and if he wants to be an assistant again or if he is willing to take a lower-level head coaching job and try to build up a program before getting back to a high-major school.
English is a highly regarded recruiter. He was the primary coach pursuing Kennedy Chandler when Chandler was in high school, and during his time at Providence, he’s continued to bring in high-level talent.
It wouldn't be a bad idea for Barnes to make the call, though. You can never complain about adding a former Power Five head coach to your staff. Plus, running a program is much more than X's and O's; it's NIL, fundraising, recruiting, building a staff, etc., and English has a great deal of basketball knowledge. He would be an asset to Barnes, and if I were Barnes, I'd at least kick the tires.