With the season over and moves being made, Tennessee has a new job opening on the basketball staff as associate head coach Justin Gianey is heading to Raleigh to be the head coach at NC State. With Gainey gone, Rick Barnes has an opening he needs to replace on the staff, and there is a name that couldn't be any clearer that could come into Knoxville and help out Barnes.
Rick Barnes answers retirement speculation immediately after brutal loss to Michigan
Don't be shocked if Barnes gives Kim English a call to come back and join the Tennessee staff as an assistant. English was on the Tennessee staff as an assistant from 2019 to 2021 before he left Knoxville to become the head coach at George Mason. After two years at George Mason, English took the head coaching job at Providence, but after three seasons, he was let go. It wasn’t a smooth run, but it also wasn’t a total disaster, as he finished with an 82–81 record as a head coach.
Kim English would be a A+ add
The encouraging part of English is that he's still 37 years old, a very young coach in the profession. Since he was last on the Tennessee staff, where he did well, he now has five years of head-coaching experience and a knowledge of Rick Barnes' scheme and what he wants to do. I think it would be a home run for Barnes to get English back involved.
Not only can English help on the basketball side of things, but he can also be an asset to the recruiting staff. English was the primary recruiter for five-star guard Kennedy Chandler in 2020, who Tennessee landed. If English is given another opportunity, I'm sure he will take full advantage of it. Not to mention, he can also give Barnes some fresh ideas that worked for English during his time as a head coach.
It’s not yet clear if Barnes will bring English back, but you’d have to think it’s more likely than not. Tennessee has a clear void to fill, and with the transfer portal opening up, the sooner they make a move, the better.