It was a bittersweet debut for new Marquette head coach Kim English as the Golden Eagles fell to Providence in their season opener. English, who was hired in April to replace Ed Cooley, had high hopes for his first game as head coach. Unfortunately, the Friars proved to be too much for the Golden Eagles, winning the game by a score of 70-64.
English, who previously served as an assistant coach at Michigan, was brought in to help Marquette build on the success that Cooley had established during his tenure. Cooley led the Golden Eagles to five NCAA tournament appearances and two Big East regular season championships. English is hoping to continue that success and take the program to new heights.
The game against Providence was a tough one for the Golden Eagles. They struggled offensively, shooting just 39% from the field and 28% from beyond the arc. They also committed 16 turnovers, which proved to be costly. Despite the loss, English was pleased with his team’s effort and believes they can learn from this experience.
“I’m proud of our guys for competing and playing hard,” English said after the game. “We have to learn from this and move forward.”
English will now look to build on the lessons learned from this game and continue to move the program forward. He has a talented roster and a strong foundation to work with, so there is plenty of optimism surrounding the program. It may have been a disappointing start for English, but he is confident that better days are ahead for Marquette basketball.
