Kim English’s To-Do List
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Kim English has taken over for Ed Cooley as the Providence College basketball men’s basketball coach.
Here's what he needs to do. Fast.
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The program, for the past decade-plus, has been one of the most stable in the country. After all, Cooley was the hometown guy operating under a “lifetime” contract and expounding a mantra of “family."
Now, English takes control and has a “to-do” list a mile long, and how successful he is in checking off the challenges will certainly define his first year and potentially his tenure at PC.
1. Stabilize the Roster
English, as of now, inherits two all-Big East players. Bryce Hopkins was a first-team selection and Devin Carter was an honorable mention selection. Both will be juniors will be next season and provide the Friars with an outstanding foundation.
Hopkins and Carter are not the only key players returning — redshirt sophomore Corey Floyd, Jr; sophomore Jayden Pierre; and senior Alyn Breed all are capable of being top-tier Big East players. Underneath, beyond Hopkins, the Friars only return redshirt sophomore Rafael Castro.
English needs to retain the returning talent. A mass exodus would turn a highly competitive Big East team into a mega-rebuild.
2. Building a Staff
Even the most talented young coach needs to fill two critical roles on their staff — first is an experienced assistant that can help bench coach.
And, maybe most importantly, English needs a great recruiter.
English was a top recruiter for Rick Barnes at the University of Tennessee and has deep roots in his hometown area of Baltimore — a good place to have ties.
3. Money, Money Money
It’s not Joe Mullaney’s college basketball anymore.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in NCAA v. Alston — read the Harvard Law Review article HERE — college athletes can be paid, and the promise of financial payments is driving many athletes' decisions to transfer and to where they relocate.
The payments are unreported and unregulated — how much Hopkins earned this season is between him and his CPA.
It was just a year or so ago the players hoarded the per diem meal allowance for food on away trips.
4. Teams Live and Die in the Portal
George Mason has had two players enter the transfer portal since English’s announcement.
The two are Ronald Polite III, a junior guard and Justyn Fernandez, a 6’5” freshman. Others are rumored to be transferring.
No word yet if either is headed to Providence, but one thing is for sure, English needs a shooting guard and multiple big men to compete in the Big East next year.
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