Kim English is in his first year as Providence's head coach
Providence men’s basketball coach Kim English was caught off guard after being questioned about his relationship status in a postgame press conference following the Friars’ statement win over Creighton in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night.
Hoping to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament next week, Providence defeated No. 8 Creighton 78-73 behind Devin Carter’s 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Head coach Kim English of the Providence Friars talks with Rich Barron (10) in the first half against the Georgetown Hoyas during the first round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden March 13, 2024, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
"I think it was a must-win game. We want to keep our tournament dreams alive, and we also want to get a Big East championship," Carter said after the game.
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English, who is in his first year as Providence head coach, called the win "one of our best efforts of the season," adding the players "deserve all the glory."
But it was English who apparently was receiving all the attention on social media.
During a postgame press conference, one reporter told the coach he was "trending on Black Twitter," and, more specifically, people were wondering what his marital status was.
"Um, I’ll uh – man, yeah. No comment," English said after the room erupted into laughter over the question.
Head coach Kim English of the Providence Friars directs his team in the first half against the Creighton Bluejays during the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden March 14, 2024, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
"I’m locked in on this team. I’m locked in on our team right now," he added with a smile before the moderator moved on to another question.
For interested fans, English’s bio on the school’s website only states that he has two daughters and is a native of Baltimore.
English played college basketball at the University of Missouri before getting drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. After a brief career, he turned to coaching.
His first head coaching job was at George Mason in 2021. Two years later, he moved on to Providence.
Devin Carter (22) of the Providence Friars dribbles as Steven Ashworth (1) of the Creighton Bluejays defends in the first half during the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden March 14, 2024, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
English is now focused on Friday’s semifinal matchup against No. 10 Marquette, which is coming off an overtime victory over Villanova.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
