It's official, Kim English is the new Providence College men's basketball coach

Kim English is the new Providence College men's basketball coach, the school announced in a Thursday afternoon press release.

English was on campus Wednesday and the agreement was finalized Thursday morning, sources told The Providence Journal. Terms were not disclosed, but the contract is reportedly for six years. English and new women's basketball head coach, Erin Batth, will be formally introduced at a press conference next Wednesday at 11 a.m.

"I am extremely excited to welcome Kim English and his family to Friartown," athletics director Steve Napolillo said in the release. "Today, we begin a new era in the proud history of Providence College basketball.

"As I was looking for a new head coach, I consulted some of the most knowledgeable people in the game, including Mike Tranghese and Rick Barnes. I wanted to find an individual who represented passion and integrity as well as the many other values of Providence College. That led me to Kim.

"Kim is known as one of the best recruiters in the country and he is a rising star in college basketball. He has had success at every level of basketball as a player and a coach. I look forward to our program reaching new heights and having the opportunity to work with him as my teammate for many years to come."

English spent the last two seasons as the head coach at George Mason. He has ties to the Friars through former coach Rick Barnes — English was a top assistant under Barnes at Tennessee prior to accepting an offer from the Patriots in 2021-22.

"I am beyond excited to be named head men's basketball coach at Providence College," English said. "I want to thank (school president Rev. Kenneth R.) Sicard and Steve Napolillo for this incredible opportunity.

"I want to be clear to everyone in Friartown — we are going to do great things at Providence College for a long time. I know that this is a special place with amazing fans, a great tradition and support throughout the community. We look forward to establishing new relationships with the players, the alums and the fans. The work begins now!"

English, 34, made some edits to his personal Twitter page Thursday morning suggesting he was indeed headed for a new challenge. The lead photo included a Providence logo, and Friars.com was listed as his new personal website. English's location was tagged as Providence.

"Kim English is the ideal choice to lead our men's basketball program, and I am delighted to welcome him to the Providence College community," Sicard said. "He is a proven leader with an impressive record of commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes in programs that reflect his work ethic, integrity, and passion for excellence.

"Those characteristics reflect the ideals of Providence College, and I am excited for the future of Friar men's basketball under Kim's leadership."

Who is Kim English?

English is a Baltimore native who attended Randallstown High School and earned Baltimore Sun All-Metro honors before playing his postgrad year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass. He earned his degree in general studies from Missouri in 2012. He was a standout guard with the Tigers who spent the 2012-13 season with the Detroit Pistons. English played professionally overseas until 2015 before becoming a coach.

English began his sideline career as an assistant under Frank Haith at Tulsa in 2015. He spent two seasons (2015-17) with the Golden Hurricane before being hired by Tad Boyle as an assistant coach at Colorado, where he worked for two years (2017-19). Barnes brought English to Tennessee for two more seasons as an assistant coach beginning in 2019. He stayed in Knoxville until 2021 when he became the head coach at George Mason.

English was signed through the 2025-26 season and was bringing home a reported $925,000 annually — he figures to receive a significant raise in salary and have more program resources at his disposal. He was able to recruit and develop talent such as two-time all-league selection Josh Oduro, Tennessee transfer Davonte Gaines, Colorado transfer D’Shawn Schwartz and Justyn Fernandez, a top-100 prospect in the Class of 2023. English coached a pair of top-60 teams in assist rate and a pair of top-40 teams in defensive rebounding percentage during his brief stint with the Patriots.

Providence moved quickly after Ed Cooley bolted for Georgetown on Monday afternoon. The city native declined on multiple occasions in recent weeks to shut down rumors of a potential departure and met officially with the Hoyas on Sunday. His last game was played Friday night, a 61-53 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

More:A closer look: Timeline of Ed Cooley's departure as Providence basketball coach

Providence targeted English quickly

English spent one more year than Barnes did at George Mason. He finished 34-29 with the Patriots, including 20-13 in 2022-23. George Mason’s overall win total was its best since 2016-17, and its 11 victories in the Atlantic 10 matched a program high since joining the league from the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013-14.

More:Bill Koch: What type of coach should Providence basketball hire?

English's hiring comes one day after Georgetown introduced Cooley, taking over for the fired Patrick Ewing. Cooley was hired to rebuild the Hoyas into the power they were in the 1980s, when they captured a national championship. Cooley first met formally with Georgetown officials Sunday and accepted their contract offer on Monday afternoon.

English already boasts a pair of wins over a new rival — he authored a home-and-home sweep against the University of Rhode Island in 2022-23. George Mason scored a 79-72 win in Kingston and captured the return leg in Virginia by a 75-67 count. Oduro dominated both games, hitting for 24 points and 14 rebounds in the opener and following with 27 points in the rematch.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Kim English succeeds Ed Cooley as Providence basketball coach