FAIRFAX, Va. - Kim English, a former Missouri Tiger, was hired Tuesday to coach the George Mason's men's basketball team, a week after the school fired Dave Paulsen.
English has been an assistant to Rick Barnes at Tennessee.
English went to college at Missouri and was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Pistons in 2012 and played for them before heading overseas to play basketball. He briefly returned to the NBA with the Chicago Bulls in 2014.
"I am so incredibly grateful and honored to accept the position of head coach at George Mason University," English said in a statement released by the university.
The Baltimore native worked as an assistant coach at Tulsa and Colorado before heading to Tennessee for the 2019-20 season.
"Kim English is a grand slam hire for George Mason," Tennesse coach Rick Barnes said. "He's the total package. From the day he joined our staff at Tennessee, he made an immediate impact on our program.
"He has a unique gift for connecting with people and forming genuine relationships. I'm particularly proud that he gets the opportunity to begin his head coaching career at the special place that also gave me my first big opportunity. I know he'll lead the Patriots to great success."
George Mason went 13-9 this season and was 95-91 in six years under Paulsen, without any trips to the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
"Kim English is a rising star in the college basketball world," George Mason director of athletics Brad Edwards said. "He is a tremendous communicator, tireless worker and a natural leader. He develops a unique rapport with his players, which fuels their development and enriches their overall experience as student-athletes.
"His success at the highest levels of the game, elite recruiting ability and knowledge of the area will provide our program with an outstanding foundation to establish a standard of competitive excellence in the Atlantic 10 and at the national level."
Paulsen had one year remaining on his contract, which was previously extended.