– Kenny Payne’s era is apparently coming to an end. According to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, the University of Louisville’s men’s basketball program is “expected to part ways” with its head coach. According to Goodman, the termination would most likely become public “within the next 24-48 hours.” Payne’s career at Louisville has been a complete failure. The second-year head coach, who had never before been a head coach at any level, concludes with a 12-52 record at his alma university. His.186 winning percentage is the fourth-lowest among the Cardinals’ 23 all-time head coaches (interim, acting, or permanent), and the second-to-last among the 14 who coached several seasons (Lawrence Apitz:.161 from 1937 to 1940).
Last season, in his first year as head coach, the Cardinals were one of the worst teams in high major basketball, getting blasted out almost every night and regularly breaking new program marks for total futility. They finished 4-28 overall and 2-18 in ACC play, more than breaking the program’s previous record of 20 losses in a single season set in 1997-98. UofL concluded the 2022-23 season ranked No. 290 out of 362 Division I teams by KenPom, dropping as low as 305th. Louisville was hoping to rebound in the 2023-24 season. The Cardinals were able to flip the roster during the offseason, bringing in the No. 6 high school recruiting class and the No. 29 transfer portal class, according to 247Sports, while also avoiding severe punishment in their ongoing NCAA/IARP infractions investigation. However, year two under Payne was likewise marked by constant failure.
Louisville finished with an 8-24 overall record this season, completing back-to-back 20-loss seasons for the first time in program history. They failed to beat teams in their weak non-conference schedule (309th in D1) and finished dead last in the ACC, going 3-17 in league play. They ranked as low as 221st in KenPom before ending 198th. Despite having no prior head coaching experience, the Laurel, Miss. native’s success as a recruiter while an assistant at the University of Kentucky earned him an opportunity as a head coach at Louisville. However, despite bringing in talent for the current team, the Cardinals’ recruitment efforts have recently slowed. Louisville currently has one verbal commitment in the Class of 2024, is the only power league team without a signee, and has missed multiple targets during the cycle. Payne played four years for the Cardinals from 1985 to 1989, helping them capture the national championship in 1986. Prior to joining the University of Louisville in March 2022, he worked as an assistant coach for the NBA’s New York Knicks for two seasons and at Kentucky for ten years. While at Lexington, he established himself as one of college basketball’s premier assistants.
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