Former Louisville men's basketball head coach Kenny Payne will reunite with John Calipari at the University of Arkansas.
According to the X (formerly Twitter) men's basketball team, Payne, 57, will be the new associate head on Calipari's staff after the former Kentucky head coach left the Wildcats for the Razorbacks after 15 years. He will serve as a coach.
Payne's first time leading the Cardinals as head coach was short and disastrous. He was fired in March after coaching the worst two seasons in modern program history, leaving his alma mater with a 12-52 record.
On the day of Payne's ouster, U of L athletics director Josh Haird told reporters, “In the short term, we haven't seen the sustained progress that I was looking for.”
“This was a very difficult decision to make given who Kenny is and what he means to the university, but we feel it is the right one for this program and this department,” he added. “We want to thank Kenny and his family for pouring their hearts into Louisville. We wish them all the best as Kenny's coaching career will no doubt continue elsewhere.”
The U of L Athletic Association (ULAA) has agreed to pay Payne a total of $7,250,000 in severance pay in monthly installments of $201,388.88 until “approximately” March 31, 2027. According to a copy of the separation agreement obtained by the Courier-Journal through an open records request.
Additionally, the parties have agreed that ULAA will pay the monthly health insurance premiums for Mr. Payne and his eligible dependents until June 30, 2025, or until Mr. Payne assumes a job that provides coverage. .
The documents say there is no “obligation” to seek other employment in order to receive the buyout money, and a non-disparagement clause is included.
Mr. Payne joined Calipari's staff in the UK in 2010 as an assistant after working for Ernie Kent at the University of Oregon for five years. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2014. He held that position until 2020, when he joined Tom Thibodeau's New York Knicks staff.
He and Calipari together went 295-74, reached four Final Fours and won a national championship in 2012.
Along the way, Payne developed a track record of recruiting successful players and developing big-time players into future NBA stars. Speaking to The Athletic in 2019, one of those players, Karl-Anthony Towns, called him “the horse under the jockey that drives Kentucky basketball.”
Those qualities did not translate into success when he was introduced on March 18, 2022, as the replacement for Chris Mack at the University of Louisville and the first Black head coach in program history. Under his guidance, the Cards lost more games by 20 points or more. than they won.
Still, he remained steadfast in his belief that his inheritance needed three to four years of rebuilding.
“Whether I'm a coach or not, I can look in the mirror and say, 'I did everything I could to help this program,'” Payne said.
During Payne's tenure, U of L lost to Kentucky by a combined score of 181-139, by an average margin of 21 points. Before their matchup, he said he didn't care if he beat Calipari by one point, drawing criticism from some Cards fans.
Contact Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow @brooksHolton at X.