“Someone who is dying to coach this program”: Louisville’s AD Josh Heird takes a stealthy jab at Kenny Payne amid coach hunt

Louisville announced on Wednesday that it had parted ways with men's basketball coach Kenny Payne after two seasons in charge of the program. This came a day after the Cardinals suffered a 94-85 loss to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

The Cardinals finished the 2023-24 season with an 8-34 record, going 3-17 in the ACC and losing the last eight games of the season. As the university goes in search of Payne’s replacement, athletic director Josh Heird talked about what it's looking for in the next coach.

“We have to have someone that is dying to coach this program, that would crawl here to coach this program,” Heird said.

In many quarters of the college basketball world, this is seen as a jab to the previous coach. Payne was unable to have a solid impact on his alma mater as a coach.

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Why was Kenny Payne fired?

Kenny Payne lost his job at Louisville after two disappointing seasons in charge of the program. He ended his tenure with an abysmal 12-52 record, including a 5-37 record in ACC play.

"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," Heird said.

Josh Heird, however, noted that Payne remains in the heart of everyone in the program.

"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.

Josh Heird: Firing Kenny Payne was the right decision

Changing coaches in college sports always comes with some series of difficulties for the program involved. Nonetheless, Josh Heird believed firing Kenny Payne was the right decision.

“While it is always difficult to make a coaching transition, this is the right one for our program," Heird said. "On behalf of myself and everyone involved with our men's basketball program, I want to thank Kenny for his dedication to U of L. I wish him and his family the very best in their future."

Payne is slated to receive an $8 million buyout from the Cardinals as per the terms of a six-year contract extending through 2028. The contract guaranteed a base annual salary of $3.35 million alongside additional bonuses and incentives.