Louisville basketball: Can Kenny Payne win these games?

New York Knicks assistant and former Cardinal Kenny Payne is a fan favorite to land the vacant Louisville basketball head coaching job. But can a man with zero head coaching experience return the program to prominence?

The night after former Louisville basketball head coach Chris Mack took down hated rival Kentucky for the first time, a small gathering took place at the Mack residence.

Among the attendees in Mack’s basement that December night in 2020 was former Cardinals offensive lineman Eric Wood.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush of taking down your powerhouse rival. Maybe it was a little help from some alcohol-infused beverages. At the very least, it was a combination of both. But Wood, with the help of Mack, decided to make a friendly video to send to one of their mutual friends.

“Kenny Payne won those games!” howled a merry Wood as an apparently inebriated Mack danced around him shouting in agreement.

“Kenny Payne is gone,” Wood continues. “You know what Kentucky is minus Kenny Payne? 0 and 1. 0 and forever. Cal will never, NEVER, beat UofL again.”

The video, as Mack later described, was a joke amongst buddies. However, just over a year later, the repartee of the joke at hand feels foredestined.

As history will tell it, Mack’s Louisville team would go on to miss the NCAA Tournament after one too many COVID-related cancellations mixed with a few too many missed opportunities led to a sharp downturn. The 2021-22 season saw a suspended and then frustrated Mack lose control over his team. The burnout was apparent. The frustration was palpable. A need for a change grew so evident that it couldn’t wait until the end of the season.

Ultimately, Mack and UofL parted ways less than a year after the video of him and Wood leaked.

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Now, Louisville basketball sits in a state of purgatory. A blue-blooded program with a sub-.500 record without a coach mid-season. And the name atop the list of coaching candidates? None other than Payne- The subject and recipient of the video.

Payne, a national champion at Louisville turned long-time Kentucky assistant, went 10-2 against the Cards during his time as an assistant and associate head coach for the Wildcats.

Now in his second season as an assistant for the NBA’s New York Knicks, the “butt” of the joke is who many around the Louisville basketball program consider its potential future savior.

The Louisville basketball coaching search is one of the more intriguing across the country this century. In the 2000s, Louisville went out and got Rick Pitino, Kentucky landed current head-man John Calipari, UNC hired Roy Williams, and Kansas reeled in Bill Self. However, outside of the somewhat revolving door at UCLA with Ben Howland, Steve Alford, and now Mick Cronin, no high-level college basketball head coaching search has brought the drama and intrigue that could surround the one in Louisville, Kentucky during the spring of 2022.

Recently, UNC and Duke have handed the keys to former players and long-time assistants in Hubert Davis and John Scheyer. Michigan and Memphis nabbed former players Juwan Howard and Penny Hardaway. Even Texas hired one of its own in former player Chris Beard.

The pendulum in the sport is swinging the way of the former player. The no-drama, “safe”, financially-savvy, fan-pleasing hire.

To many around the program, Payne feels like the closest thing available to a can’t-miss option. The next big thing that could fall in line with the latest trend in coaching hires.

But there lies the crux of the situation; The last “can’t miss” hire for the Cards, Mack, was a flop.

Four years later, Louisville basketball is still entrenched in litigation for two separate NCAA infractions cases. A third instance of potential violations under Mack is under investigation as well.

The program is still in the same place, only this time, the situation is that much direr.

Questions still remain if Payne is ultimately a good fit. The obvious glaring weakness is that he has never been a head coach at any level.

Then, there is the question many are asking: If Payne weren’t a Louisville basketball alumnus, would his name still be one that is brought up? Perhaps not.

Allegiances and head coaching experience aside, however, what makes Payne a high-level coach? And why would a program like Louisville’s look to him to be the face of the program, perhaps for decades to come? Can Kenyn Payne win these games? Let’s dive in, shall we?

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A top tier recruiter

It’s no secret that Kentucky basketball’s secret to success over the last decade has been due to its ability to land elite-level recruits.

UK landed either the first or second-highest rated recruiting class every year from 2010 to 2020.

Payne was one of the catalysts behind that great run of recruiting classes and is credited as one of the main recruiters for 12 5-star players over a six-year period.

Dating back to his time as an assistant at Oregon, relationships have always been important to Payne. His reputation as a well-connected, influential role model for young players precedes him.

In his first season at Oregon under head coach Ernie Kent, Payne was instrumental in securing top recruits Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor as part of a top-10 recruiting class. Hairston and Taylor went on to become 1,400 and 1,600 point scorers for the Ducks and remain two of the three highest-rated recruits to ever play in Eugene.

His ability to land high-level talent ultimately gave him his opportunity in Lexington and beyond.

Player Development Guru

More importantly, Payne’s reputation has become that of a master motivator; A gifted big man coach who brought tough love to a Kentucky basketball program that churned out NBA talent.

“(Payne) is one of the best development coaches in the world,” former Kentucky center and NBA All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns tells The Athletic. “KP is the horse beneath the jockey driving Kentucky basketball.” 

Payne has become known for his ability to connect with players off the court like an uncle or a father figure, yet get them to push their bodies to another level in order to achieve success at the highest level.

“When I got to Kentucky, I couldn’t do a post move,” Current LA Lakers Superstar and NCAA Champion Anthony Davis told Kyle Tucker. “I was very, very raw. I was like a baby giraffe that just came out of the womb — the way they walk, wobbling around on their skinny legs.” 

As we now know, Davis is an eight-time All-Star and considered one of the 75 greatest players of all time.

“He’s interested and I think he’d be a great fit,” his current boss, Knick’s head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “(Payne is) strong on both sides of the ball, he’s strong with individual development. And he’s been around. He brings a lot of experience to any situation he goes to.”

Accomplished at the highest level

Payne got his start in coaching in 2000. When his playing career ended, Payne decided to return to The University of Louisville to complete his degree.

During that time, his connection with former Cards teammate Milt Wagner and close friend William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley ultimately helped secure the first job of his career: An unpaid internship working for the Detroit Pistons and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.

That experience with Brown- Calipari’s mentor- opened the door for the rest of his career. Top-tier talent began flocking to Payne for help with one-on-one sessions. Before long, he became known as one of the better player developers in the game with a pristine reputation as an all-around good guy and father figure to players across the globe.

At Oregon, Payne’s squads went to two NCAA Tournaments, including its second Elite Eight since 1960.

The accomplishments at Kentucky speak for themselves. 6 SEC Championships, 7 Elite Eights, 4 Final Fours, and a National Title.

In his time in New York, big man Julius Randle has enjoyed the two best seasons of his career under his former coach. RJ Barrett has burst onto the scene as one of the NBA’s best young talents. Veteran Reggie Bullock enjoyed one of the better seasons of his career, earning himself a sizeable contract in Dallas in the offseason.

“I’m hoping inside that they hire Kenny Payne. Kenny Payne is a guy that can unite all factions of Louisville,” former Louisville basketball head coach Rick Pitino told Adam Zagoria. “I won’t endorse him because that’ll be the killer for him, but if he wants it, I hope he gets it.”

“I don’t like to see any coach get fired, but I’m hoping for Kenny,” Pitino continued. “He’s a great guy, a great recruiter, he’s a terrific coach. And if he wants it, I hope he gets it.”

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Whether Payne lands the gig on Floyd street remains to be seen.

Regardless of his association with Louisville basketball, however, Payne feels like a man with the credentials necessary to lead a quasi-blue blood program.

As for whether or not he can win these games in Louisville or “won those games” in Lexington, Payne says he holds no animosity towards Mack, Wood, or anyone involved in the video.

“It was never about me when I was at Kentucky,” Payne told WDRB’s Rick Bozich. “I was the one blessed with the opportunity to work with the coaches and the players there. That was just Eric trying to have fun with me.”

A man loaded with talent and experience, brimming with confidence, and eager to show what he can do, Payne feels like an excellent intermediary between generations of Louisville basketball fans, players, and coaches.

Most importantly, he and many others in the know understand that regardless of connections, he is ready for the spotlight that a high-level head coach would attract.

Now, more than ever, it feels like that is exactly what Louisville basketball needs.