Last week, Rick Barnes’ top assistant on his coaching staff left Tennessee’s staff to take a head coaching job. Now, it looks like Barnes might have found someone to fill the empty spot on his bench.
According to a report from Grant Ramey of 247Sports, Tennessee is close to hiring former collegiate and professional basketball player and current Colorado assistant Kim English as an assistant for UT. English played for Missouri from 2008-12 and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He appeared in 41 games with the Pistons and played briefly overseas as well.
Since his playing days ended in 2015, English has taken to coaching. He was hired on as an assistant at Tulsa in 2015 by his former head coach at Missouri, Frank Haith, and stayed there for two seasons. In 2017, English was hired as an assistant at Colorado and has been there the last two seasons. Colorado went 23-13 this past season and just missed out on the NCAA Tournament. The Buffalos ended up making a run in the NIT Tournament and made it to the quarterfinals.
As a player for Missouri, English averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 141 career games for the Tigers. At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, English was a versatile athlete who shot 39.4 percent from three and 42.0 percent overall. He was the second leading scorer on the 2011-12 Missouri team that went 30-5 overall, won the Big 12 Tournament, and earned a No. 2 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
While he was still at Texas, Barnes coached against English. Barnes’ Texas squads faced off with English’s Missouri teams six times, and the Tigers went 5-1 against the Longhorns.
English turned 30 in September and hails from Baltimore, Maryland.
Right now, more movement is still possible on Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee. Rob Lanier, Barnes’ top assistant on his staff, was hired as Georgia State’s head coach last week, leaving Barnes with a void on his bench. Lanier had been an assistant with Barnes at Texas and came over with Barnes to Tennessee when he was hired as head coach. But Lanier might not be the only departure this offseason.
Desmond Oliver has been considered the favorite to land the head coaching position at Kennesaw State, but that deal has yet to come to fruition. If Oliver stays, he’ll likely take over Lanier’s spot as Barnes’ lead assistant. If he goes, though, then that will open up yet another place on Barnes’ staff.
We will update as more information becomes available.
