Louisville set to hire Kenny Payne as head coach, press conference Friday

Louisville has found its next head coach, and it’s a familiar face. After emerging as the program’s top candidate, Kenny Payne is now expected to be introduced as the Cardinals’ next head coach on Friday.

The University of Louisville Athletic Association Board of Directors has called a meeting for Friday at 9 a.m. ET, with the school set to make a “special announcement regarding its men’s basketball program” at approximately 10 a.m.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was the first to report the news, with several other national and local insiders later confirming the hire.

Sources: Pending board approval on Friday, Louisville will hire Kenny Payne as its next head basketball coach.

A press conference is expected for Friday.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 16, 2022

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde reported Tuesday that Louisville had narrowed its coaching search, with Payne being the school’s “primary target.” With talks ongoing, Forde added that an announcement could come later in the week.

Just one day later, it appears Louisville has found its replacement for former head coach Chris Mack, who was fired back in January.

Payne played at Louisville and won a national championship with the Cardinals in 1986. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Oregon from 2004-09 before joining John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky in 2010, serving as an assistant until 2014 before taking over as associate head coach. Payne was then hired as an assistant with the New York Knicks in August 2020.

Now, Calipari’s former right-hand man is set to roam the sidelines for Kentucky’s bitter in-state rival.