Providence hires Kim English to replace outgoing Ed Cooley

Ed Cooley was a mainstay at Providence and will be tough to replace now that he is off to Georgetown. In 12 seasons with the Friars, he amassed a 242-153 overall record and made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament while winning two Big East regular-season titles. He was a star head coach for Providence and earned his opportunity with the Hoyas.

After spending the last two seasons at George Mason University, Kim English has been hired as the 16th head coach in Providence men's basketball history and will have the tough task of coming out of the long, long shadow cast by Cooley in Rhode Island.

"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," school President Father Kenneth R. Sicard said in a statement on the school's website. 

"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."

English put together a 34-29 over his two campaigns with the Patriots, including the 20-13 season his team just completed. For the past season, English's crew matched a program record with 11 conference wins, a batch of victories which included a stretch of six consecutive league wins. The successful season marked the first time the Patriots won over 20 games since 2006-07.

"I know that this is a special place with amazing fans, a great tradition and support throughout the community," English said. "We look forward to establishing new relationships with the players, the alums and the fans. The work begins now!"