PHOTO - UK Athletics
Coach John Calipari is on the hunt, and it may not be a long one, for a new associate head coach. ESPN reported Tuesday morning, and it was just after that the University of Kentucky confirmed that the New York Knicks had reached an agreement with Kenny Payne to join the club as an assistant coach.
Payne will join new Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in trying to bring the Knicks back to NBA relevance.
As for a possible replacement, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported shortly after the Payne announcement that current Indiana assistant coach Bruiser Flint would be joining the UK staff as Payne’s replacement. Flint was a former assistant to Calipari at UMass, and took over the job when Calipari left the Minutemen for the NBA.
Kenny Payne completed his 10th season with John Calipari and the Kentucky men’s basketball program in 2019-20. He was promoted to associate head coach in May of 2014 after serving his first four seasons as an assistant coach. Prior to his arrival at UK he served as an assistant at Oregon for six seasons.
Nationally recognized as one of the game’s top recruiters, Payne’s ability to recruit has continued to flourish at Kentucky. He played a key part in Calipari’s last 11 recruiting classes. The 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2020 classes all ranked No. 1 in the country, and every class has been in the top three, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index.
During his tenure at Oregon, Payne helped the Ducks burst onto the national scene with two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008. Oregon also claimed one Pacific-10 Tournament title and three Ducks were selected in the first and second rounds of the NBA Draft under Payne.
Prior to coaching, Payne traveled the globe playing basketball for 10 different professional leagues. In 1989, Payne was chosen in the first round and 19th overall in the NBA Draft, playing four years for the Philadelphia 76ers.
A four-year letterwinner at Louisville from 1985-89, Payne joined the Cardinals from Northeast Jones High School in Laurel, Mississippi, where he was a Parade All-American and the state’s player of the year.
Payne helped lead Louisville to the 1986 NCAA national championship as a sophomore when he appeared in 34 games and averaged 3.6 points per game. As a senior, Payne averaged 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and was named Second Team All-Metro Conference.
By the end of his Louisville career, Payne registered 1,083 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point range.
(Bio information courtesy UK Athletics)
