Ad Disclosure
John Calipari weighs in on Louisville’s decision to hire Kenny Payne
By Adam Spencer
Published:
John Calipari and new Louisville head coach Kenny Payne worked together at Kentucky from 2010 to 2020, when Payne was one of Coach Cal’s top assistants.
Since 2020, Payne has been an assistant with the New York Knicks in the NBA, but now he’s heading back to his alma mater for his first head coaching gig.
On Wednesday, Calipari said he’s excited for his former assistant, saying their friendship won’t be affected by the rivalry between the Wildcats and Cardinals:
More from Calipari on KP going to Louisville: "They deserve a coach like Kenny Payne…the state of Kentucky deserves both programs."
Calipari spoke to Payne a few days ago and said a prayer for him at Mass today.
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) March 16, 2022
Kentucky and Louisville didn’t play this season. We’ll see if the rivalry gets back on track with Payne at his alma mater.
Payne was a member of Louisville’s 1986 national championship-winning squad. He was also an assistant when Kentucky won it all in 2012.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
