BREAKING: Heird Says Payne Is Staying
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“Kenny, and I have had a number of conversations throughout the last week, and Kenny is going to serve as our head coach as we move into the new year,” Heird said. “And I'm going to do what I do with every one of our programs, which is evaluate what's happening throughout the season.”
"I want this basketball team to be great," Heird told the station. "And it's a long way from that right now. So I absolutely understand (fan) frustrations. I live it. You know, this is this is my job. . . . I want us to be a great basketball program, and I'm going to work every day to try to get us back to that point. And I have confidence that we can."
Several players on the roster, including point guard Skyy Clark, have said in recent days that the players have not quit or given up on Payne.
And Heird said that does make a difference.
"I think, if there's anything that is going to make me significantly reconsider the timeline, or the timeframe for a coach, it's going to be if there's overwhelming negativity, or lack of support in the locker room,” he told the station. "And that is that is not the case right now."
Several players on the roster, including point guard Skyy Clark, have said in recent days that the players have not quit or given up on Payne.
And Heird said that does make a difference.
"I think, if there's anything that is going to make me significantly reconsider the timeline, or the timeframe for a coach, it's going to be if there's overwhelming negativity, or lack of support in the locker room,” he told the station. "And that is that is not the case right now."
So, let's recap. Heird sees a shit show, does nothing. Heird hears the fans wanting Payne fired, does nothing. No one is going to games, downtown is struggling because of it, Heird does nothing.
Dereliction of duty, I believe they call it. Heird has failed us. Fire Heird.
Dereliction of duty, I believe they call it. Heird has failed us. Fire Heird.
I guess the administration feels the basketball program still has too much life in it
If UofL wins 12 games. 3 x the amount last year. Will you say KP has improved the team and deserves to stay???
Would have to win 1 out of ever 2.7 games the rest of the year to reach 12. That would more than double the win total so far in a difficult conference. I don't see that happening. How many players will he retain at end of season? To build a program he's going to need to keep the best on the team or he will basically be starting from scratch. I think the fans have seen enough. Payne needs to go.
This isn’t surprising nor should it be. The mid season firing does nothing except guarantee failure. It has all the signs of failing keeping him gives KP the opportunity if it does or doesn’t. At that point a non emotional business can be made. At the end of the day it is an investment it either had as ROI or it doesn’t.
There are a ton of moving parts and frankly none of us know the impact of letting him go. Like it or not as Zipp has said they don’t have the money to keep firing coaches.
There are a ton of moving parts and frankly none of us know the impact of letting him go. Like it or not as Zipp has said they don’t have the money to keep firing coaches.
Payne isn’t going to coach next year. Attendance wasn’t going to improve the rest of this season regardless of who was coaching. Wins weren’t going to materialize with Danny Manning or Nolan running the ship. There’s a financial incentive to playing out the string this year. Now, it’s on Heird to get the funds and get the right coach starting next season.
maybe, maybe not. not sure who i Heird (pun intended) it from today on the radio but they made this point, that Heird is a Jurich disciple and Jurich stuck with Kragthorpe for three years when the fanbase all wanted him gone. consider that aspect of things here, that Heird is under the TJ tree and probably goes thru similar processes in his decisions. so for those who still want TJ back, he'd probably keep payne thru this year and another year also. food for thought, huh Zipp? and finally in the case of Petrino, the players quit on him so he was gone. if the players haven't quit, then hard to give up on the coach.
The players 100 percent saved him to this point.
How far down does Josh hope this program burns under Payne? I can only assume that Josh has pressure on him that we know nothing of. Not sure if it’s the administration, the AA community or well-heeled boosters.
If Josh were acting solely on his own, I would think there would be both short and long term performance measures in place. That said, if those measures were in place at the beginning of the season, then I would have to believe a firing would have been triggered by now.
If Josh were acting solely on his own, I would think there would be both short and long term performance measures in place. That said, if those measures were in place at the beginning of the season, then I would have to believe a firing would have been triggered by now.
So a few transfers arrive in town and they get to decide that they like KP and will not quit on him ……. so those few players can dictate the future for the tens of thousands of UL fans?
Those same few players will be gone by the time the Portal opens back up, and the UL fans will be left with KP.
Those same few players will be gone by the time the Portal opens back up, and the UL fans will be left with KP.
Did you hear what Josh said? He didn’t throw what I would call rousing support KP’s way. He gave him about the lowest level support possibly, if you call it that. He’s keeping him either to save money or due to the lack of an interim. I know for a fact they were issues with both a week ago. I’m waiting to see how this plays out and who we end up with before I condemn anyone.
It doesn’t matter what the players say. It’s what they do that counts. Are they giving 100% effort? Are they doing everything they can to improve? If they want to save KP, it starts with that. It might not produce many more victories, but at least we would no where the problem is.
Heird said the players support of their coach will impact his timeline. There is 2 levels of support.
The 1st do they want to play for the staff. They have said they do. If they didn’t the move would be be made after Arkansas St. That explains the conversations with players.
The 2nd level is actual play on court. It is up to the players to save KP. I also think that was part of the conversation with players. OK you support him show it on the court. There is no reason for them to be this god awful on defense. Unless they decide to defend they aren’t saving the staff.
I think the plan is to stick with him until they enter ACC play and if we see blowouts then Heird will be forced to make a change during season which he clearly doesn’t want to do. The players at that point are stuck with the decision.
The 1st do they want to play for the staff. They have said they do. If they didn’t the move would be be made after Arkansas St. That explains the conversations with players.
The 2nd level is actual play on court. It is up to the players to save KP. I also think that was part of the conversation with players. OK you support him show it on the court. There is no reason for them to be this god awful on defense. Unless they decide to defend they aren’t saving the staff.
I think the plan is to stick with him until they enter ACC play and if we see blowouts then Heird will be forced to make a change during season which he clearly doesn’t want to do. The players at that point are stuck with the decision.
Look out because it'll probably be someone with a stellar record like a Patrick Ewing or Scott Satterfield type coach based on the direction our "leadership" is taking us.
We have no idea what is going on, other than he is here, serving up a sh!t product with cringe press conferences and/or interviews.
While much of the speculation and opinions shared here are logical it's just as likely there is no plan and no internal conversations are anywhere near the neighborhood of some thoughts being shared here.
While much of the speculation and opinions shared here are logical it's just as likely there is no plan and no internal conversations are anywhere near the neighborhood of some thoughts being shared here.
I agree and think this is one of the more logical theories based on the most recent comments made by some of the players that they support KP. It looked like they or several players checked out and quit against Arkansas St. Their response against Pepperdine and I know it was Pepperdine, showed they have not completely quit on KP or the staff.
Is this the reason for improved play by BHH or is the light bulb just now coming on? He did have 20 against Ark St.
These players have the potential to save his job. If their effort, energy and play over the next month or rest of the season leads to wins and they overcome his lack of coaching or inexperience, I think we may see a 3rd year of KP. The next 5-10 games are interesting for this alone.
Payne should be fired for that last post game presser alone. He admits he can’t recruit with, compete with or even have our name mentioned with the “big guys”. Yeah…feeling a lot better about our coach now!!
All it takes is booster money to recruit. Bridgeman apparently has enough to get him hired but not enough to support his continued stay at Louisville by paying for some skill.
When the University, Athletic Department, boosters, and coaches aren’t 100 percent aligned failure is almost guaranteed.
This hire wasn’t properly aligned. The boosters, Payne connections and Payne himself weren’t on same page. The University, Athletic Department and Payne didn’t set the standard out of gate. Then 4-28 happens and everything gets out of alignment which ends up wreaking the program.
Satterfield and Mack was exactly the same not aligned. Satterfield sent it out of alignment with his looking around then Covid. The University messed up Mack. Brohm is exactly what it looks like when everything is aligned.
This hire wasn’t properly aligned. The boosters, Payne connections and Payne himself weren’t on same page. The University, Athletic Department and Payne didn’t set the standard out of gate. Then 4-28 happens and everything gets out of alignment which ends up wreaking the program.
Satterfield and Mack was exactly the same not aligned. Satterfield sent it out of alignment with his looking around then Covid. The University messed up Mack. Brohm is exactly what it looks like when everything is aligned.
In all fairness, the hiring of Jeff Brohm is one that may never duplicate itself again at UL.
The family ties, the fact that Jeff himself played and starred here and coached here as an assistant before experiencing success as HC at WKU and Purdue. I believe Oscar, Greg, Brian and his connections here in Louisville made this a reality that is as much providence as anything.
Kenny‘s hire was never remotely close to making any sense, as he only played here, and that was the only connection. No family ties, no return to UL for assistant coaching experience under Denny or Rick; instead he aligned with our rival school where he was affectionately identified as “the one the players went to with personal issues”.
Kenny was hand selected by Bridgeman and the Wade Houston family out of well-intentioned, but horribly mis-guided judgement without any objective process. There is no other influential support in this community that will provide the necessary money and discretion to resolve this mess. I fear it will be a very long time before any solution will be advanced here.
The family ties, the fact that Jeff himself played and starred here and coached here as an assistant before experiencing success as HC at WKU and Purdue. I believe Oscar, Greg, Brian and his connections here in Louisville made this a reality that is as much providence as anything.
Kenny‘s hire was never remotely close to making any sense, as he only played here, and that was the only connection. No family ties, no return to UL for assistant coaching experience under Denny or Rick; instead he aligned with our rival school where he was affectionately identified as “the one the players went to with personal issues”.
Kenny was hand selected by Bridgeman and the Wade Houston family out of well-intentioned, but horribly mis-guided judgement without any objective process. There is no other influential support in this community that will provide the necessary money and discretion to resolve this mess. I fear it will be a very long time before any solution will be advanced here.
Mentioning Payne and any other coach—even K-rag—in the same conversation ain’t right. Nor is labeling Heird a “Jurich disciple.” These guys have little in common.
If you were gonna attack the U of L mess with one hire, it would be the University President. Get someone with competency and credibility who will fix things with fans and donors. Then let that person do what’s needed…
Agree. I think in time, Brohm will be proven to be a one-off opportunity for this University and athletic department to do the right thing. Hell, given the chance, we screwed that up the first time.
Kenny Payne is A problem. U of L is THE problem…
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i'll percent agree with you on the prez and BOD. was just relaying what was brought up on radio, that Heird was under TJ and tj let us roast under krags. i think there is some similarities to the situation.
I don’t know exactly how the president is doing, but athletics is really an insignificant part of her job. Her mission is to fund raise and enable the university to improve its academic performance. Athletics is a sideshow, or should be, from her perspective.
Insignificant according to you? Doc Ramsey often referred to athletics as the “front door to your university.”
From someone who ran U of L during a pretty successful period of time, that means something to me…
What do you actually think a university is? If “Doc Ramsey” was particularly interested in athletics, fine. But most university presidents are, or should be, focused on the core academic mission of their institutions. A successful university excels in this core mission. U of L has a long way to go until it reaches levels of excellence that characterize a truly elite university. That’s why I would prefer as little interference as possible in athletics from the academic side except where necessary (player eligibility, academic integrity. Institutional reputation).
The principled view of athletics vs academics is getting more and more obsolete. You now have athletes getting paid to play for your school.
ULAA's total revenues for 2023 were $132 million. By comparison, here are revenues received under several categories for the University overall in 2023:
Student tuition and fees $228 million
Grants and contracts $129 million
State funding $148 million
No way ULAA revenues are "insignificant" in dollar amount, which is what we're talking about driving here--by the President ultimately. I'm not sure the average U of L sports fan knows what she looks like...
Again, as a whole the University and Athletics have to be aligned. The fact is when your brand is broadcasted nationally it impacts enrollment. That is why the President should be invested in Athletics. It gives her the opportunity to grow the University which is her main job. We all can argue about how the Jurich and Ramsey partnership ended but they were in perfect alignment which led to success. Basketball has to get back to that point or they will never be successful.
Brohm is just an example of perfect alignment. It isn’t a one off. Him being coach may be but not everything that had to be aligned to give him the opportunity to succeed. An example is NIL he and the athletic department appear to be aligned based off results. He also came in with a win now attitude. In Payne’s case he wasn’t aligned at all with NIL. His attitude is win and losses don’t matter.
Now that we have more data and words from Payne this was doomed from the start. Every aspect has been poorly managed. The question is why and we may not ever really know.
Brohm is just an example of perfect alignment. It isn’t a one off. Him being coach may be but not everything that had to be aligned to give him the opportunity to succeed. An example is NIL he and the athletic department appear to be aligned based off results. He also came in with a win now attitude. In Payne’s case he wasn’t aligned at all with NIL. His attitude is win and losses don’t matter.
Now that we have more data and words from Payne this was doomed from the start. Every aspect has been poorly managed. The question is why and we may not ever really know.
You know, there are other teams/programs that might just love your support. Maybe it’s time for you to consider pledging your allegiance elsewhere. I think you’ve done all (the damage) you can do here.
A university is not, or should not be, an athletic enterprise with an educational institution attached. As stated above, I would prefer that the president stay out of athletics to the extent possible and focus on her real job. You cite revenue when you want to declare athletics critical to the university mission, but hang your hat in “net position” when you wish to complain about the university leadership. Since that net position is negative, isn’t athletics less important than the other revenue you cite?
I'm waiting to see what happens at the end of the year and what the situation looks like in November before I pass judgement.
