Providence College Mens Basketball Team Ends Regular Season

The Providence College Friars during their game against Xavier University.

The 2025-2026 regular season was certainly one to forget for Providence College men’s basketball. The squad ended the regular season with a record of 14 and 17, finishing under .500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons. This lackluster season has led to some big news, the Friars announced Thursday that this would be the final season for current head coach Kim English. English took over prior to the 2023 season after longtime head coach Ed Cooley shockingly left Providence to coach at Georgetown. After having success in his inaugural season – going 21 and 14 in the 2023-2024 campaign– the past two seasons for English were not as successful, with a combined winning percentage of just above .400, over those two seasons.

While the season overall may have been disappointing, there were still a few notable highlights. Firstly, their early season win against bitter rival, URI. The Friars won by double digits in what many consider one of the biggest games of the season every year, regardless of the team’s record. Another notable victory was their 77-71 upset over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden in early January. The Friars massive comeback win against DePaul, where they overcame a 19-point deficit, is another high point. The team had many high scoring games, scoring over 100 points multiple times, as well as easily leading the Big East in team points per game. The Friars also had notable victories over schools including Pennsylvania State University, Creighton University and fellow Rhode Island school Brown University.

Looking at player performances this season, the Friars had a few standout performers. Jaylin Sellers, the transfer senior from University of Central Florida, led the way in scoring for Providence, averaging over 18 points per game, the best in the Big East. Freshman Stefan Vaaks also had a solid season. The 6 foot 7 Estonian national led the team in minutes per game, along with averaging over 15 points per game. Ryan Mela held down the fort defensively, and Jason Edwards also contributed on the score sheet, averaging over 16 points per game.

The Friars entered the season with a roster full of talent, much of it brought in after the program looked to rebound from a disappointing 2024–25 campaign. Expectations were high, assuming new additions would help elevate the team to compete with the juggernauts in the Big East, but the team unfortunately struggled to translate potential into consistent results. Throughout the regular season, their biggest issue was an inability to maintain leads and execute in late-game situations. Consistently the Friars found themselves in strong positions only to let games slip away. These repeated struggles to finish tight contests defined the season.

Providence College fans being diehards means that whoever is hired as the next head coach will be held to a higher standard than they ever have before. As the last few years have proved, everyone can deal with the pressure of coaching in the Big East. New England sports fans are a different breed. They expect to compete at a high level and leave games satisfied.

Overall, the season was marked by a series of ups and downs, though the setbacks ultimately outweighed the successes. The inconsistency and disappointing results led to the dismissal of Kim English after just three seasons at the helm. With his departure, the program now faces a pivotal offseason. The program must not only make key roster adjustments but also tackle its most important task: hiring a new head coach who can help guide the Friars back toward stability and success. With many Providence College fans having their season tickets for decades, the expectations are higher than ever to see March Madness one day again.