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Michael Malone adds recently-fired head coach to North Carolina staff

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 5:07 PM ET

New North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball coach Michael Malone is not wasting time adding coaches to his staff.

On Monday, Malone added a big name: Former Providence head coach Kim English. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported that English was “expected” to join, and Inside Carolina added later that English had agreed to come to Chapel Hill.

Source: UNC is expected to hire Kim English as an assistant coach under Michael Malone. English is the former head coach at George Mason and Providence and will give Malone an experienced college assistant. pic.twitter.com/700k02nB0z
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 13, 2026

English spent the past three seasons as the Providence head coach, but he was fired at the end of the 2025-26 season after a 42-50 mark in his time with the Friars.

North Carolina moved on from Hubert Davis, and despite the Tar Heels being linked to big names such as Dusty May and Tommy Lloyd, they surprised everybody by hiring Malone.

North Carolina is also paying Malone a lot of money by giving him a six-year deal worth $50 million, putting him north of $8 million per season.

Malone has never been a college head coach, and adding experienced coaches to the staff seems like a smart decision in the long run.

English was an assistant coach at Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee before becoming the George Mason head coach in 2021, so he brings much-needed experience to the staff in Chapel Hill.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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