FIRED!!!!!!
- Thread starter glassmanJ
- Start date
Louisville plans to fire men's basketball coach Kenny Payne on Wednesday, a source confirmed to CBS Sports. Barring any unforeseen delay, the process will be official after Payne and the team return to Louisville. This outcome has been expected for months and comes after the Cardinals' season ended Tuesday in the first round of the ACC Tournament against NC State with a 94-85 defeat. Louisville finished 8-24 this season — doubling its number of victories after going 4-28 in Payne's first season.
It adds up to a 12-52 two-year calamity. Heretofore, it was near-impossible to think Louisville could have been as bad as it's displayed the past two seasons.
Payne was hired in 2022, replacing Chris Mack, who cut ties with the university midway through his fourth season. At the time of his hiring, Payne was a lauded figure: a former national champion who played on Louisville's 1985-86 NCAA title-winning team and, just as notably, the first Black head coach in Louisville men's basketball history. He was hired away from his assistant's post with the New York Knicks. Prior to that, Payne was a longtime influential assistant to John Calipari at Kentucky, helping the Wildcats to a 2012 national title.
The belief was that Payne could bring recruiting coups and major victories to Louisville the way he helped sustain Kentucky's operation for so many years. But that's not at all how his time played out.
The Cardinals never found a semblance of positive momentum under Payne. It can be easily argued that his 23-month tenure leading Louisville was the nadir of a program that easily rates top-10 in the sport's history. Given his status and history with the program, he was given a second season to try and turn matters toward the better. This year was only slightly better than last, and now the program will move forward and try to restore glory in the Derby City.
Despite how bad things are now, the history and upside of Louisville basketball is so great, it will command an attractive pool of candidates, including sitting head coaches at other high-major programs. The school has NIL support and a financial package that will compete with any job on the market this cycle, according to sources. Potential targets could include Baylor's Scott Drew, FAU's Dusty May, USF's Amir Abdur-Rahim and Indiana State's Josh Schertz.
It adds up to a 12-52 two-year calamity. Heretofore, it was near-impossible to think Louisville could have been as bad as it's displayed the past two seasons.
Payne was hired in 2022, replacing Chris Mack, who cut ties with the university midway through his fourth season. At the time of his hiring, Payne was a lauded figure: a former national champion who played on Louisville's 1985-86 NCAA title-winning team and, just as notably, the first Black head coach in Louisville men's basketball history. He was hired away from his assistant's post with the New York Knicks. Prior to that, Payne was a longtime influential assistant to John Calipari at Kentucky, helping the Wildcats to a 2012 national title.
The belief was that Payne could bring recruiting coups and major victories to Louisville the way he helped sustain Kentucky's operation for so many years. But that's not at all how his time played out.
The Cardinals never found a semblance of positive momentum under Payne. It can be easily argued that his 23-month tenure leading Louisville was the nadir of a program that easily rates top-10 in the sport's history. Given his status and history with the program, he was given a second season to try and turn matters toward the better. This year was only slightly better than last, and now the program will move forward and try to restore glory in the Derby City.
Despite how bad things are now, the history and upside of Louisville basketball is so great, it will command an attractive pool of candidates, including sitting head coaches at other high-major programs. The school has NIL support and a financial package that will compete with any job on the market this cycle, according to sources. Potential targets could include Baylor's Scott Drew, FAU's Dusty May, USF's Amir Abdur-Rahim and Indiana State's Josh Schertz.
"Payne was a lauded figure: a former national champion who played on Louisville's 1985-86 NCAA title-winning team and, just as notably, the first Black head coach in Louisville men's basketball history."
Who also never earned his chops at another school as head coach. In the quote was his two reasons for being hired. Everything else from big man whisperer to elite talent recruiter was smoke and mirrors to hide the idiot behind the curtain.
Who also never earned his chops at another school as head coach. In the quote was his two reasons for being hired. Everything else from big man whisperer to elite talent recruiter was smoke and mirrors to hide the idiot behind the curtain.
“ Heretofore, it was near-impossible to think Louisville could have been as bad as it's displayed the past two seasons.”
“ . It can be easily argued that his 23-month tenure leading Louisville was the nadir of a program that easily rates top-10 in the sport's history.”
SMDH…
“ . It can be easily argued that his 23-month tenure leading Louisville was the nadir of a program that easily rates top-10 in the sport's history.”
SMDH…
technically, until Flowers left for Australia, we had the 3rd best recruiting class ever coming in. and BHH improved a ton this year and elevated his draft stock. the reality is KP actually did some coaching and the team did some good things. but all the good things that were done never overcame KP's inabilities, like adjusting himself to make the team better instead of expecting the team to adjust to him, or understanding how to talk to the press. it always seemed we could hang with a team for 30 minutes but a 10 minute stretch always crushed us. a sad two years that will hopefully be soon forgotten.
It's embarrassing to be a fan of UL when ESPN reports that UL plans to fire the coach within the next 24 houis. Why don't they just wait to announce the news when it happens
That’s not the way the media has worked for 20 years and unless you’re Kenny Payne - there’s no reason to be embarrassed by the news.
Joyful is the proper emotion IMO.
I guess I am trying to say that UofL....as usual...is handling this the wrong way. They should be embarrassed
Serious question. Embarrassed why? What action taken by UofL can you specifically point to that was unprofessional?
agree. there are simply some people meant to be the helper and not the leader and there is nothing wrong with that. sometimes the head coach, especially in football, just needs to be a CEO who hired good assistants. KP does not the the CEO media skills and needs to be in the background doing his work, not the forefront. we probably would have been better off having Manning be our HC and kp the assistant.
leaks happen. simple as that. they let him finish out the season and gave him every opportunity to save his job. they were loyal to him and he's going to get a very nice paycheck for not working anymore, and it's more than any person would ever need in an entire lifetime. and the buyout was given to a man who had never coached before. and instead fo waiting to april 2nd to save $2million and thus leaving kp, and recruits, dangling, they cut the cord now. pretty sure all up that adds up to treating him very well. to 100% agree w/ Ghost, what'd they do wrong?
I’ll take the OVER that no matter who we get as our next coach, he will win more than > 12 games in year one!
K-Pain is the one that needs to be embarrassed for the new levels of low he and his staff have attained.
the interesting part is how most of the coaches have been excluded from the criticism. i wonder what their next interviews are going to be like. um yes, please explain how you handled being part of the worst coaching staff in history? fyi, no one has talked about the assistants buyouts on top of KP's.
The way Heird did handling the satterfield situation, creating an opportunity to bring Brohm home - right?
Ok, I’ll bring back a classic…
He FAAAAHRD THE SUMBEOTCH!!!
He FAAAAHRD THE SUMBEOTCH!!!
If Heird is genuinely taking responsibility for hiring the WOAT, he should get credit for hiring Brohm.
I don't think he truly deserves the credit/blame for either one. But none of us can have it both ways. So I'm fine with that...