It really encapsulates the moment, as well as the last four unsettling weeks for fans and followers of Providence College basketball with the end to the 2022-23 season.
As new men’s coach Kim English addressed a standing-room-only crowd inside of Mullaney Gym on the Providence College campus Wednesday, English spoke directly about coach Ed Cooley’s departure for a Big East rival in Georgetown.
“I want to thank Ed Cooley and his staff for taking us to new heights,” English began. He then directed comments toward the controversy over his rather sudden departure, looking at his new team, then looking back at athletic director Steve Napolillo.
“So what? Now what?”
Indeed. Coach Cooley left. Now, what do we do about it? It was a signature moment on an otherwise historical day for a major college athletic program that not only introduced a new men’s head coach, but one for the women as well in Erin Batth.
Batth arrives at PC after serving last season as chief assistant at Michigan. Like her male counterpart, Batth brings professional playing experience, spending time in the WNBA before embarking on her coaching career.
English was a second-round selection of the Detroit Pistons in 2012, played one year in the NBA and another two in Europe before finding his coaches’ whistle. He was head coach at George Mason in the Atlantic-10 where his team won 20 games this past season, following assistant positions at Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee – the latter job under former Providence head coach Rick Barnes.
His primary mission now is to build on the overall success of a program that began decades ago with names like Mullaney, Gavitt, Barnes, Gillen and yes, Ed Cooley, too.
With a strong work ethic.
“It’s more work ethic than anything,” English explained. “Anyone can work hard one day, two days, three days…but that fourth day. That off day. That off season. We’ll demand it (work ethic) as a core value of what we’re doing.”
As evidence of his work ethic, English told of the issues he’s faced in having a speech impediment from a very early age. He proceeded to win the day with a public speech in front of more than 1000 fans, live television interviews and chats with fans and other media. It was a flawless performance.
But English is also very much aware that while there is time before games are played again, there remains much to do in building a team for next season and beyond.
“Most importantly, right now, it’s about me – us – and getting to know these guys,” English said. “The staff, going out (recruiting), everything can wait. Everyone says recruiting is the lifeblood of college basketball, I think retention is. If we can keep this great core and we add some pieces, I’m really excited about this group in Year One.”
As for his Year One group, Providence has had two players enter the transfer portal in the past week – graduate senior Jared Bynum and freshman guard Jayden Pierre – who reportedly lost a game of one-on-one with his potential head coach Tuesday night inside the team workout facility.
Two players from his George Mason team, freshman wing Justyn Fernandez (a top 100 prep recruit) and two-time all-A10 graduate center/forward Josh Oduro, have announced they will transfer to Providence for next season.
The assistant staff is not yet completed, but former Friar assistant Dennis Felton (under Rick Barnes in 1992-94 and a former head coach at Georgia, Western Kentucky, and Cleveland State) is returning, as is Cooley’s former Director of Basketball Operations Kevin Kurbec. Kurbec will be working in a different support role for the program within the PC athletic department.