Kenny Payne

Current position: Associate head men’s basketball coach
Current team: Arkansas Razorbacks (Head coach: John Calipari)
Current conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Teams coached: Louisville Cardinals
Louisville record: 12-52 (.188)
Overall record: 12-52 (.188)

Kenneth Victor Payne
Born November 25, 1966
Hometown: Laurel, Mississippi
Alma Mater: University of Louisville (BA, 1989)
Starred at Northeast Jones HS (MS) before going to on play for head coach Denny Crum at Louisville
- Was a star at UL and was part of the Cardinal team that won the 1986 NCAA National Championship
Drafted 19th overall in 1989 by Philadelphia; played four seasons with the 76ers for coaches Jim Lynam and Doug Moe
- Had stints in the CBA and overseas (Italy, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Cyprus, China, Argentina and Australia)
Started his coaching career in 2004, spending five seasons as an assistant under Ernie Kent at Oregon
Joined John Calipari‘s staff at Kentucky in 2010 and after four years as an assistant was elevated to associate head coach
- Part of 8 NCAA Tournaments over 10 seasons at UK, including the 2012 NCAA National Championship
Became an assistant for Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks in 2020, reuniting with UK star Julius Randle
Hired in March 2022 to be head coach Louisville; became the first black head men’s basketball coach in UL history
- Had a very rough first season, going 4-28 overall and 2-18 in ACC play, as part of a rebuild at his alma mater
- Did not do much better two, finishing again in last at 3-17 (8-24 overall), and was fired in March 2024
Reunited with Calipari a month later, becoming his associate head coach once again, this time at Arkansas