Providence AD Steve Napolillo on the Coaching Search and What's Next for the Friars
Providence College Athletic Director Steve Napolillo met with local media on Monday afternoon for the first time since dismissing head coach Kim English. English, Napolillo’s hand‑picked successor to Ed Cooley three years ago, was let go after a promising debut season that was followed by back‑to‑back sub‑.500 campaigns.
Across a 15‑minute press conference, three themes emerged about where Providence goes next.
1. The next coach will be a current Division 1 head coach.
Friar fans have spent the past week speculating about certain high‑upside assistants or even NBA names like Jay Larrañaga, but Napolillo shut that door quickly. He made it clear the search is centered on sitting Division I head coaches — including those still coaching in the NCAA Tournament.
The message was clear: Providence wants someone who has already proven they can run a program, and has done so effectively in this changing climate.
2. Portal success and resource management will define the hire.
When asked what qualities matter most, Napolillo often referenced the modern landscape.
“Someone who — realistically over the last three years in this new landscape — has successfully built a program,” he said. “The whole landscape of college basketball has completely changed, and we need to make sure the next coach at Providence College is able to do this at the highest level.”
That means navigating the portal, evaluating talent, and maximizing the budget. English excelled as a high‑school recruiter and landed one of the Big East’s top transfers in Jaylin Sellers, but the staff also invested heavily in veterans who didn’t produce over the past two seasons. Injuries played a role, but portal misses ultimately sank the Friars.
“He did an incredible job of recruiting high school students,” Napolillo said. “I think what you’ve seen across the country is the transfer portal has been a challenge for many programs.”
3. Providence may add a General Manager.
Napolillo repeatedly referenced how dramatically the sport has changed. The head coach’s job includes roster construction, asset allocation, fundraising, player retention, and year‑round evaluation of potential transfers. Assistant coaches are stretched thin trying to scout opponents, prepare their own team, and track hundreds of players who may enter the portal.
“Evaluating talent, putting a price on talent, and getting them to play together,” Napolillo said, outlining the core responsibilities of a head coach that he’s targeting.
Given that workload, Providence appears poised to expand its staff. Napolillo hinted strongly at adding a general manager — someone who can partner with the head coach on roster building, talent evaluation, and allocating funds.
“You always want to maximize every dollar you have,” he said. “We supported this at the highest level this past season.”
Where the search points now.
If you’re reading the tea leaves, the profile becomes clear: a sitting Division I head coach with a proven track record of winning in the NIL/portal era, someone who can operate as a CEO, and someone comfortable partnering with a GM‑style staff structure.
That narrows the field considerably — and it tells you what Providence believes it needs to compete at the top of the Big East again.