Michael Malone is continuing to make big moves ahead of his debut season as a college basketball head coach. The 54-year-old has now bolstered his North Carolina Tar Heels coaching staff with the hiring of former NBA guard Kim English.
English brings with him plenty of head coaching experience, having spent a combined five years at Providence and George Mason.
Former Providence Head Coach Kim English Joins Michael Malone’s Staff at UNC
Malone has been busy on multiple fronts since taking the head coaching job at UNC earlier this month. Days after reportedly adding Chuck Martin from Arkansas and retaining key staff members Sean May, Pat Sullivan, and Eric Hoots, Malone has now completed the next piece of the puzzle by bringing in English to Chapel Hill as an assistant coach.
The news of English’s hiring at North Carolina was shared on social media by Pete Thamel of ESPN.
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
“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,” he wrote.
English brings plenty of coaching experience at the college level. The 37-year-old began his coaching career in 2015 and held a 34–29 record in two seasons as George Mason’s head coach.
Then, he spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Providence. After an encouraging debut year, he parted ways with the Friars last month with a 48–52 overall record after a second successive season under .500.
English has also coached under several seasoned college basketball coaches, including Rick Barnes (Tennessee), Frank Haith (Tulsa), and Tad Boyle (Colorado).
Before becoming a coach, English spent four years at Missouri and was named the Big 12 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 2012. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2012 and spent one year in the NBA before playing abroad.
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The Tar Heels are facing a big offseason after firing Hubert Davis and appointing Malone as head coach. The 54-year-old has no previous college basketball head-coaching experience, but he did lead the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship as head coach in 2023.
Malone signed a six-year, $50 million contract with the Tar Heels, becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. He will have his sights set on leading UNC to its first national championship since 2017. North Carolina suffered a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament this year.
