Tennessee basketball: Kim English brings the 'total package' to Rick Barnes' staff

Mike Wilson
Knoxville

Kim English walked into a jam-packed gym at the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., a couple years ago and struggled to find a place to sit.

When he finally did, he got a threatening text from an unknown number.

“Hey, man, get out of my seat. I’m going to kill you,” the text read.

Then another came: “I’m not kidding you, man. Meet me at the front door and we’ll settle this right now.”

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes was behind the unknown number and just like that English’s view of Barnes as some “mammoth of a man” shattered. He found Barnes to be a jokester and not the stoic, stern person he saw as a player at Missouri facing Barnes’ Texas teams.

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The two formed a relationship and Barnes made a resolution regarding English.

“I knew from that day if I ever had that opportunity to hire him, that he would be the guy that we would hire,” Barnes said.

Barnes made good on that on April 12, officially adding English as the third assistant on his staff. English filled the vacancy created by Rob Lanier’s departure to Georgia State. Barnes indicated Wednesday that Mike Schwartz could move into Lanier’s associate head coach role. Desmond Oliver rounds out the staff, which had been intact for three straight seasons.

“I take pride in thinking I’m going to get people that are better than me,” Barnes said.

Barnes quickly saw the chemistry among his staff after hiring English, whom he said easily met his criteria for hiring a coach: He is in it for the right reasons, understands recruiting and wants to be a head coach.                                               

“He’s the total package,” Barnes said. “When I look, when we have to make these type of hires, I want somebody that has it all, wants it all and somebody that understands what our program is about. He fit every part of that.”

English coached the past two seasons at Colorado. He coached at Tulsa for two seasons prior, working on Frank Haith’s staff that also featured Schwartz before he came to Knoxville in 2016. Haith was on Barnes’ staff at Texas from 2001-04 and English played for Haith at Missouri in his standout senior season with the Tigers.

English scored 1,570 points in his career with the Tigers, averaging 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in leading Missouri to a school-record 30 wins as a senior. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and had a short stint in the NBA.

His memories of Tennessee date back to being recruited by Bruce Pearl’s staff during his prep career in Baltimore.

“I kind of always looked at the University of Tennessee — especially with coach Barnes — that if an opportunity ever came up, it is a place I would like to be,” English said.

His memories of Barnes date back to years earlier.

Colorado assistant basketball coach Kim English

“In 2003, I was in my dad’s bed watching the national semifinal, Texas versus Syracuse,” English said. “Carmelo (Anthony) was from Baltimore. I remember watching that game and being impressed with coach Barnes’ team.”

English’s impression grew stronger playing against Barnes’ teams, when he held Barnes “in such high regard.” That view continued as he entered the coaching profession. He got to know Barnes on the recruiting trail, and they stayed close after a dinner in Charlotte after a tournament.

The 30-year-old English was continually impressed by Barnes “beyond the basketball stuff.”

“If I don’t learn anything from a basketball perspective, which I know won’t happen, I know I’m going to take away a lot from the man that he is, the Christian that he is and I’m really excited about that aspect,’ English said.

English said he brings recruiting connections and “authentic relationships” from New England, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Washington, D.C., Detroit and internationally. He also said he believes Tennessee basketball is a global brand.

But he said his biggest strength as a coach is connecting with the players. His early impressions of the Vols backed that up and strengthened his belief that the decision to join Barnes’ staff was a good one.

“It was a no-brainer on a lot of fronts,” English said.