One of the strangest coaching tenures in recent college basketball memory has come to an end.
One day after a season-ending 94-85 loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament, the Louisville Cardinals announced Wednesday that they would be moving on from head coach Kenny Payne.
The school announced the news Wednesday morning.
We will be making a change in leadership for our program. #GoCards https://t.co/0O2jasWLsJ
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) March 13, 2024
Athletic Director Josh Heird released a statement thanking Payne for his service, saying, “Kenny has given a great deal to this university over a span of nearly 40 years, and he will always be a valued member of our Louisville family. When we brought Kenny home in 2022, no one had a stronger belief than me in his potential success, but it’s become clear that a change is needed to help this program achieve what is expected and attainable. While it is always difficult to make a coaching transition, this is the right one for our program. On behalf of myself and everyone involved with our men’s basketball program, I want to thank Kenny for his dedication to UofL. I wish him and his family the very best in their future.”
Payne played for the Cardinals from 1985-89 and was with the team when they won the 1986 NCAA Tournament. After his time ended, he enjoyed an 11-year professional career, including a four-year stint with the Philadelphia 76ers before spending a year in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association and then going on to play internationally.
After his playing career ended, Payne was an assistant coach with the Oregon Ducks before returning to the state of Kentucky in 2010, as John Calipari hired him as an assistant with the Kentucky Wildcats. Payne would go on to be Kentucky’s associate head coach before leaving for the New York Knicks in 2020, where he remained until being hired by Louisville.
His two seasons were rough, as the Cardinals went just 12-52 and fan support plummeted.
