In what appears to be a first in the history of the Big East Conference tournament, a head men’s basketball coach faced an unusual question about his marital status during a postgame news conference.
A reporter from The Black Sportz Network informed Providence Friars coach Kim English that he was “trending a lot on Black Twitter,” and that “girls asked me to ask you” about his marital status. John Paquette, a Big East media relations veteran, who moderated the news conference, reminded English that he had the option to decline to answer the question.
English responded with a humorous “No comment,” eliciting stifled laughter from his three players seated beside him—Devin Carter, Jayden Pierre, and Josh Oduro. Carter, in particular, found the situation amusing.
However, the light-hearted moment came in the wake of a significant victory for the Friars, as they upset the No. 2 seed Creighton 78-73 to advance to the tournament semifinals. This win likely secures a spot for Providence in the NCAA tournament, marking a successful first year for English, who took over from Ed Cooley, the beloved former coach who departed for Big East rival Georgetown.
Despite facing adversity earlier in the season with the loss of standout forward Bryce Hopkins to a season-ending knee injury, the Friars have rallied and now boast a 21-12 record heading into the semifinals on Friday night.
For clarity, English’s Providence bio states that the 35-year-old coach is the father of two daughters but does not mention a spouse.
