English takes helm at George Mason
Kim English, a Randallstown graduate and Baltimore native, was named the men’s basketball coach at George Mason on Tuesday.
Athletic director Brad Edwards announced that English, a former standout at Missouri who played one season in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, was selected as the 11th head coach in the history of the program.
English will lead the Fairfax, Virginia, program after serving as an assistant at Tennessee under former George Mason coach Rick Barnes this past season. English also was an assistant coach for two seasons at Colorado and three seasons at Tulsa.
“Kim English is a rising star in the college basketball world,” Edwards said in statement. “He is a tremendous communicator, tireless worker and a natural leader. He develops a unique rapport with his players, which fuels their development and enriches their overall experience as student-athletes. His success at the highest levels of the game, elite recruiting ability and knowledge of the [Delaware-Maryland-Virginia] area will provide our program with an outstanding foundation to establish a standard of competitive excellence in the Atlantic 10 and at the national level.”
An All-Big 12 selection at Missouri, English was selected in the second round (44th overall) of the NBA draft and played in 2012-13 for the Pistons and had a brief run with the Chicago Bulls in 2014 after playing internationally.
“I am so incredibly grateful and honored to accept the position of head coach at George Mason University,” English said in a statement.
This past season, English helped guide the Volunteers to a Top 25 ranking and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, marking the program’s third straight appearance in the event.
English scored more than 1,500 points and averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Missouri. He earned third-team All-Big 12 honors in 2010 and 2012, and Missouri won 107 games during his four-year career, making him and two teammates the winningest players in program history.
The move came a week after George Mason fired Dave Paulsen.
George Mason went 13-9 this season and was 95-91 in six years under Paulsen, without any trips to the NCAA tournament or NIT. Paulsen had one year remaining on his contract, which was previously extended.