It’s been one week since the University of Louisville fired Kenny Payne as the school’s head basketball coach after two dismal seasons on the job.
Payne was fired by U of L athletic director Josh Heird last Wednesday after a 12-52 mark in two seasons. The move opens up one of the more high-profile college basketball jobs in the country. The news comes after Louisville was eliminated from the ACC Tournament last Tuesday by NC State.
This changeover means in 2024 Louisville will have a fourth full-time head basketball coach in the last eight seasons.
“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,” Heird said in a news release. “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’ concludes his tenure as head coach with a 5-37 record against ACC competition. The Cardinals finished 4-28 in his first season at the helm and 8-24 this season.
