Report: Louisville AD Josh Heird could make decision on Kenny Payne fairly soon

The University of Louisville has begun a process that could lead to firing men’s basketball coach Kenny Payne, according to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman.

“Louisville AD Josh Heird met with multiple Louisville players today to get their thoughts on Kenny Payne and entire situation with the program before making decision, sources told @TheMessenger,” Goodman’s report reads. “Source said Heird leaning towards making a move with Payne ‘fairly soon.'”

The reported inquiry from Heird comes less than 24 hours following Louisville’s blowout loss to Arkansas State on their home court. On the same day, the Cardinals and former basketball player Koron Davis had a back and forth on whether or not he was in the transfer portal, which resulted in him being dismissed from the team before showing up in the stands inside the KFC Yum! Arena to watch his now former team.

Louisville is 8-34 under Payne, including a 0-13 record on the road. As much of a beloved figure Payne is in the program and around the Louisville community, something has to be done about the lack of success in one of the most historically successful programs in college basketball history.

This season alone has been a mixed bag of high hopes and low lows already. Just like 2022, the 2023-24 mpaign started out equally disappointing with another preseason loss, this time to in-state foe Kentucky Wesleyan.

Again, they ended up impressing with 94 points scored in a one-point win over UMBC. Losses to a ranked Texas team by one, an overtime win over New Mexico State — and a get-back win over Bellarmine, who defeated UL in 2022 — highlighted the early portion of Payne’s second season. Three consecutive losses later, nothing was going right for the Cardinals under their current leadership.

After losing to the Red Wolves on Wednesday, Payne revealed the message he gave to his obviously dejected team. At some point, however, Louisville’s teachable moments — as Payne puts it — have turned into nightly butt whoopings or seeing his Cardinals fight for their lives.

“For me, I try to constantly talk to them about what’s important,” said Payne, via On3’s Sam Gillenwater. “I use it as teaching moments. I think that sometimes fans, critics? They look at something and they see it just in wins and losses. And not really fully understanding that there’s young people that read, hear everything that people say. That hurts them because they trusted to come here, they trusted.”