Providence’s Kim English won’t discuss marital status in awkward press conference
Providence men’s basketball coach Kim English was clearly caught off guard when he was asked if he is single in a postgame press conference after the Friars’ upset of Creighton in the Big East quarterfinal on Thursday.
English seemed surprised to hear one reporter say that he was “trending on Black Twitter” (currently X) after the No. 7 Providence beat the second-seeded Bluejays, 78-73, at Madison Square Garden.
“So, they’re wanting to know… What’s his marital status?” the reporter said.
A moderator sitting next to English joked, “I think that’s our first marital question in tournament history,” which drew laughs from those in attendance.
“The exact question is: Is he single? Girls asked me to ask you?” the reporter continued.
The 35-year-old coach made a face and laughed before he declined to answer — and the moderator was heard saying, “You can pass,” referring to the question.
“No comment,” English said. “I’m locked in on this team. I’m locked in our team right now.”
The postgame moment even caught the attention of NFL Network host Rich Eisen, who wrote on X: “If he’s married, he wont be much longer if he’s asked about if he has a wife and says ‘no comment.'”
It’s unclear if English is married.
English, a Baltimore native, has two daughters, Celine and Ari, according to the Providence website.
The former NBA player was hired as head coach of the men’s basketball program at Providence in March 2023.
Prior to that, he held coaching positions at Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee, and served two seasons as the head coach at George Mason.
The Detroit Pistons selected English with the 44th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, and he appeared in 41 games during the 2012-13 season.
He went on to play professionally overseas for two years and had a brief stint with the Chicago Bulls in 2014.
Providence will face the No. 3 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.
