John Calipari says Louisville is ‘getting the best of the best’ in Kenny Payne
The University of Louisville has scheduled a press conference for Friday morning when it reportedly will name former Cardinals player Kenny Payne as its head basketball coach.
If true, said Kentucky Coach John Calipari yesterday, U of L could not have made a better choice.
“First of all, he is a dear friend, and I will tell you that they could not hire anybody that will do a better job than Kenny Payne,” said Calipari during Wednesday’s interview session before his Wildcats play Saint Peter’s in a first-round game of the NCAA Tournament’s East Region at Bainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
“Great coach, great human being, great husband, great father. Louisville graduate. I may say he should have been hired before there, but, you know what, they get him, they got the best of the best.”
In replacing fired coach Chris Mack, Louisville reportedly narrowed its search to Payne, a member of its 1986 national championship team. Payne entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at Oregon in 2004 before being hired by Calipari in 2010. He has spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the NBA’s New York Knicks.
After seeking permission from the Knicks, U of L reportedly spoke with Payne on Wednesday, reported WDRB. Discussions were to continue Thursday. The University of Louisville Athletic Association is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by a 10 a.m. news conference concerning “a special announcement regarding (the) men’s basketball program.”
Asked if Payne’s hiring might remove some of the hatred from the in-state rivalry, Calipari said that Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes has been his friend for 40 years, yet the Kentucky coach encouraged his friend to take the job at UK’s archrival.
“(Rick) and I have remained friends, even though they’ve beaten us a bunch. We’re friends,” Calipari said. “Kenny Payne, whatever happens with the games, we will be friends. It should lighten up their side, our side.”
Calipari reiterated that, while important, Cats-Cards is just one game a year.
“Look, it’s one game a year, who cares! ‘It’s life and death. I’ll jump off a bridge’ — what? It’s one game,” Calipari said. “I’ve said it for 13 years. They — look, they’ve been to national titles, they’ve won national titles, Final Four, ready with what I’m gonna tell you? With different coaches. It’s not about the coach. That program is one of ‘the’ programs. They deserve a coach like Kenny Payne.”
Calipari said he has talked to Payne recently.
“He and I talked a few days ago, he and I have not talked today,” the coach said. “I did leave mass and, I texted him and told him ‘I prayed for him today,’ just so he would know I’m thinking about him, but I don’t want to be in the middle of his business, I’m just here if he needs me. And whether he does it or not, at some point he will let me know he did (the job), or here’s why (he) didn’t do it.
“I will say this: As a coach, as a man, as a husband, as a father, who is into basketball, he will be in the gym at 11:00 at night. If that’s who they name, they made the right choice.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 4:04 PM.
