Kenny Payne Named Razorbacks’ Associate Head Coach

Kenny Payne, who has nearly 20 years of coaching experience on the collegiate and professional levels, has been named associate head coach at the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks’ head coach, John Calipari, made the announcement today.

Payne, a former Louisville Cardinal basketball standout and first-round NBA draft pick, has served as head coach at his alma university for the past two seasons (2022-24). He has also worked as an assistant coach for the NBA’s New York Knicks and spent 15 years as a collegiate assistant or associate head coach at the University of Oregon and the University of Kentucky.

Payne has been a part of successful teams while working with the Knicks, Wildcats, and Ducks. The Knicks went 41-31 in 2020-21, ranking fourth in the NBA Eastern Conference. During his ten years at Kentucky, he led the Wildcats win the 2012 NCAA Championship, compete for the 2014 NCAA Championship, advance to four Final Fours, reach eight Sweet 16s, win six SEC Tournament titles, and have 41 players drafted, including 31 first-round picks. Oregon won the 2007 PAC-10 Championship and advanced to two NCAA Tournaments, including an Elite 8 appearance in 2007.

Payne was named to the A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2020 in recognition of his track record of achievement, remarkable and major contributions to the game, and high character, integrity, and respect among peers.

Payne, who was the associate head coach at Kentucky from 2014 to 2020, was instrumental in constructing 11 strong recruiting classes, all of which were among the nation’s top three and five that were acknowledged as the No. 1 class, as well as helping to assemble a top-20 class at Oregon. As Louisville’s head coach, his 2023 recruiting class was ranked in the top six nationally by Rivals and 247Sports.

He has received national recognition for player development. During Payne’s ten years at Kentucky, the Wildcats had a player taken in the NBA Draft lottery and numerous players chosen in the first round each year, including two overall No. 1 picks. In addition, three Oregon players were taken in the first and second rounds of the NBA Draft during Payne’s tenure there.

Payne scored 1,083 points as a student-athlete at the University of Louisville over four years (1985-86), making 40.1 percent of his career three-pointers (85-of-212, fourth-highest in UofL history). He was a freshman member of Louisville’s 1986 NCAA Championship team, and during his undergraduate career, the Cardinals advanced to three NCAA Sweet 16s, won three Metro Conference championships, and three Metro tournament titles, with a combined record of 98-41.

As a senior under Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, Payne averaged 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and was chosen to the All-Metro Conference second team as Louisville finished 24-9 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected him in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft as the 19th overall choice, and he played four seasons with them (1989-93). Until 2000, he played professional basketball in Italy, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Cypress, China, Argentina, and Australia, as well as the Continental Basketball Association’s Tri-Cities (Washington).

Payne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2003.

He and his wife, Michelle, have two children: Alexis and Alexander (Zan), who played on the UofL basketball team.

PAYNE FILE
Born: Nov. 25, 1966 in Laurel, Miss.
Hometown: Laurel, Miss. (Northeast Jones HS)
Collegiate Playing Career: Louisville (1985-89)
Alma Mater: Louisville ‘03 (Sport Administration)
Family: Wife, Michelle. Children: Alexis and Alexander (Zan)

COACHING CAREER
2004–09           Oregon (Assistant Coach)
2010–14           Kentucky (Assistant Coach)
2014–20           Kentucky (Associate Head Coach)
2020–22           New York Knicks (Assistant Coach)
2022–24           Louisville (Head Coach)
2024–pres.       Arkansas (Associate Head Coach)