| Special to The Providence Journal
Video: Providence Athletic Director Steve Napolillo speaks about next PC coach
The search is on for a new Providence men’s basketball coach after Kim English was fired after three seasons.
Thinking out loud … while wondering if I should add “short-term visionary” to my LinkedIn profile.
With so much controversy surrounding us in and out of the sports world, isn’t it great that March Madness is one thing that can bring us together? Best couple of weeks on the sports calendar in my book.
∎Let’s get this out of the way: Providence College had to let go of men’s head basketball coach Kim English. Based on precedent, even if the landscape has changed wildly over the past 15 to 20 years, when you compete in the conference that Dave Gavitt built, you compete to win. And that didn’t happen here, not to anyone’s satisfaction.
That includes English, too. But the coach was his own worst enemy in this regard. His way to win was ill-advised and largely unbending. As several have opined, it was pro-style play that his athletes never fully grasped – especially when it came to defensive principles, like fighting through screens or switching matchups, which were nearly nonexistent within a league that was built on strength and defense.
Not for nothin’ but can someone please learn how to guard the pick-and-roll?
English just knew his way would work. But it didn’t and you have the inevitable result. Sure, he has a golden parachute to fall back on contractually that will cushion his fall from grace. He’s right when he said after the tournament loss to St. John’s that “I don’t want anyone’s sympathy.” He shouldn’t get it.
The good coaches in this game, the ones with staying power, know how to change. Particularly today, when the college game has evolved into a professional, minor league operation. Good coaches know how to adjust their strategies; they play to their personnel’s strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
Kim was good at some things and had trouble with others, whether through injury, illness or recruiting of his own doing. Perhaps he’ll learn from the mistakes and become a better coach. He is capable of that. But it won’t happen here, as we know. His fit in Providence wasn’t a fit after all.
It’s now up to athletic director Steve Napolillo to find that fit for the Friars. Nap detailed what he is looking for this week. It shouldn’t be a surprise, but the question now becomes — does that fit exist? And will that fit know how to adjust when wins suddenly become tougher to find?
∎URI is in a similar situation with head men’s basketball coach Archie Miller, who seems to be caught in a kind of “Groundhog Day” scenario in Kingston – the same stuff over and over. The judgment will lie in the hands of new athletic director Pat Lyons, who deserves a chance at a proper evaluation. And Miller deserves the chance to prove his worthiness to a new boss as well.
∎Think Rhode Island women’s basketball head coach Tammi Reiss is worthy? The Rhody women, seeded 11th and facing sixth-seeded Alabama in the Fort Worth region, are playing with house money. Winning with house money is when legends are born.
If you’re into the women’s NCAA Tournament and don’t know what Rhody is up against, just know that no team seeded fourth through 16th has ever won the tournament. As in never. Hence the madness that March has become famous for on the men’s side.
Within March Madness, metrics reveal the real title contenders. Did you know that entering this year’s tournament, 95% of the men’s champions since 2002 had Kenpom efficiency ratings in the national Top 21 on offense and Top 44 on defense?
Tourney expansion to 72 or 76 teams? LOL. Case in point, this X post from @StewartMandel after the bracket reveal: “Can’t expand the NCAA tourney fast enough if 19-15 Oklahoma and 17-16 Auburn are getting left out [said absolutely no one].”
∎Did you get a look at the Big 12’s TV-like video screen basketball floor before the league and coaches decided to change for the semifinals? It was distractingly hideous. I kept looking for the rabbit ears to clear up the picture.
∎The Big East Tournament this year was a sellout, again, for all five sessions at Madison Square Garden. The fans still love it, sure. It remains a national favorite for TV, too. But issues still loom that might eat away at that love.
For instance, St. John’s men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino is right about one thing. The Big East needs to decide upon a name, image and likeness and/or revenue share “floor” for membership to follow – if you really want to do something about league competitiveness within the power conference structure.
∎Upon further review, Thad Matta has decided to retire and will move on from Butler after 502 career wins and eight conference titles at three programs. Ironically, Providence, in the Big East Tournament, dealt Motta a defeat in his final game. So that’s now two jobs open in the Big East.
∎It appears most college basketball programs are “NCAA or bust” these days. Opting out of postseason events, while somewhat understandable in this portal era of roster upheaval, is still a weak look. Especially when playing careers are relatively short. And if you’re an athlete looking to transfer, why wouldn’t you want to play in March-April to showcase yourself for a shot at better NIL money someplace else?
∎Seton Hall passing on the Crown and the NIT basketball tournaments isn’t good for the Big East, even if men’s head coach Shaheen Holloway says he doesn’t have a full roster of players. And he’s worried about other teams poaching his players? Then keep playing as long as you can to shorten the transfer window.
∎The College Basketball Invitational is taking a hiatus year from competition. On the other hand, while the NIT only has four so-called power league teams involved for 2026, it may be more competitive than some of the early-round NCAA games — with teams thankful to still be playing.
And shouldn’t everyone be thankful to still be playing if, of course, you are? Creighton, which was swept by PC, is playing in the Crown in Las Vegas. The Friars had the top NET ranking outside of the four postseason-worthy Big East teams (including Seton Hall) but said “no” to the Crown with the coaching change.
The Big East needs to win, period, against outside teams, no matter where the games are played. Not winning enough in nonleague play is what limited the league to a meager, mid-major-like three participants in the Big Dance this year in the first place. Just sayin’.
And a final thought: Perhaps the power (football) conferences are trying to marginalize the Big East. UConn and St. John’s in the same bracket? Ridiculous job by the selection committee, and even more ridiculous that Lee Reed — the Georgetown athletic director and Big East rep on the committee — clearly didn’t fight it.
The network TV money talks. Sure, it was a down year,n but the Big East has won six of the last 12 and seven of the last 15 national basketball titles. That’s what bothers the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 the most.
∎From Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks on accepting an NIT bid: “We will always accept an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament. If we don’t ever get an NCAA automatic qualifier bid or an at-large bid in March Madness, we’ll always accept this because it is our civic duty as basketball coaches … to normalize playing basketball as long as you can. … My wife can’t just wake up someday and be like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna opt out of teaching today.’ This is what we need to normalize.”
∎X Posts of the Week I, from @Road2TheGarden and @NYPost_Braziller: “Bryce Hopkins on transferring and if winning a [Big East] championship makes that decision worth it: ‘100% … I still have a ton of love for Providence. … It is the nature of basketball [today].’ ”
∎X Post of the Week II, from @franfraschilla: “The sad reality is that in order to survive in college basketball, in [the] next few weeks, you have to fire the highly paid, unproductive players the way coaches are fired. I think everyone is OK with that.”
Are you OK with that? Now we know — this ain’t your daddy’s or momma’s college hoop anymore.
∎Big East senior associate commissioner for men’s basketball Dan Leibovitz is the new commissioner of the Atlantic-10, named last week to replace Bernadette McGlade, who stepped down after nearly two full decades.
It is a good move for the A-10’s hoop future. Leibovitz has led the sport for the Big East, SEC and American conferences and spent time as a college coach at Hartford, as an assistant at Penn, under John Chaney at Temple and as an NBA assistant in Charlotte.
∎PC’s hockey Friars should be called on the NCAA Selection Show Sunday, one of 10 at-large teams to the 16-team event after losing in the Hockey East tourney. This week, their NCAA Percentage Index ranking was seventh, which is a major consideration for the 10 at-large spots. Regionals will begin Thursday, March 26.
∎Trying not to get overly excited here, but Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony as a late addition to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic was – fun. So was watching the success of his Red Sox teammate, Wilyer Abreu, for Venezuela. And definite political overtones in the championship final (U.S. vs. Venezuela), am I right? A palpable buzz.
And speaking of the WBC, it was hilarious checking out the roster for the surprising Azzurri of Italy, which had only three Italian-born players on its roster. Which was, not surprisingly, why they had some success in reaching the semifinals. Italy had American-born players (of Italian heritage, of course) with big league experience.
∎Soccer is starting hot, whether you agree or not. The National Women’s Soccer League’s Boston Legacy FC debuted at Gillette with a record crowd (30,207), with RIFC (USL) and the New England Revolution (MLS) better than expected at their season starts. Don’t let the train leave the station without you.
And all is well with the World Cup security issues in Foxboro, as the town has issued the entertainment license and the organizing body (Boston Soccer 2026) provided the funding for said security with help from Kraft Sports + Entertainment. The World Cup is “back on.” Now, see? That was easy, wasn’t it?
∎The New England Patriots signing former Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard as a free agent is a definite steal. A three-time All-Pro who led the NFL in interceptions last year signs a one-year, $9 million deal? The Patriot Way is at play — again.
Think out loud for yourself and send your questions, comments and local stories to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments right here. Join me on Twitter/X, Instagram and Threads @JRbroadcaster.
