LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kenny Payne knew that he would never deliver more important words than the ones he shared Friday morning during the press conference when he was introduced as the new University of Louisville men’s basketball coach.
Payne planned to script at least part of his message. Of course, he did.
“I couldn’t,” Payne said. “I was too nervous.”
So nervous that Payne said he could barely sleep Thursday night. He struggled to write down even a few notes.
That was when Payne decided to default to the quality that clearly separated him from any other candidate:
Kenny Payne spoke from the heart.
Kenny Payne speaks at his introduction as head men's basketball coach for UofL. (WDRB photo)
He didn’t talk about his coaching staff, what kind of defense his team would play or what it would require to overtake Duke and North Carolina atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.
He talked service. Kenny Payne could have taken the easier path and remained with the New York Knicks. The Knicks’ braintrust would have celebrated that. A head coaching job in the NBA is likely to have opened soon.
But Louisville needed him. That’s what Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers told him. Indiana coach Mike Woodson told Payne that he would punch him if he didn’t take the Louisville job.
There was the expected phone call of encouragement from UK head coach John Calipari, Payne’s former boss and mentor. There was the unexpected phone call of encouragement from UK head football coach Mark Stoops. He told Payne he needed to do this.
Ditto for UK president Dr. Eli Capilouto. And Charles Barkley. And Magic Johnson.
Congratulations to my friend Kenny Payne for being named the new head men's basketball coach at Louisville! Great choice by Athletic Director Josh Heird!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 16, 2022
Louisville is an Adidas school. Phil Knight is the co-founder of Nike. Knight’s message gave Payne no wiggle room.
"'You have to do this, Kenny,'" Payne said that Knight told him. "'It’s a Top 10 job. It’s one of the best jobs in college basketball. Go do it.'"
Payne talked about sacrifice. The work others poured into him. The sacrifices his wife and children made as he chased his basketball coaching dream.
He talked about work ethic. Prior to the press conference, Payne met with El Ellis, Jae’Lyn Withers and Dre Davis, the three current players in town during spring break, inside the locker room at the arena.
In a 45-minute conversation, Payne told the trio that if they stayed with the program they would work harder than they had ever worked. But Payne also said that he and his staff would be just as relentless in working with them.
“He was impressive,” Withers said. “He told us some things we definitely needed to here, more so along the good lines.
“He quieted the storm that was sort of brewing. He said there was going to be a whole lot of work to put in during the off season and he’s not really going to give us leeway to slack off or get sidetracked.”
All three guys were encouraged by Payne’s message and talked like guys interested in staying.
Former Cards lining up pic.twitter.com/Q1Ssf0qEIG
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) March 18, 2022
He talked about responsibility. The commitment that a coach makes to parents when they trust a coach to develop their son.
He talked about community. The job of coaching basketball in this town is about more than winning games, especially in these times. It’s about creating a vibe fans are eager to invest their emotions into the program.
“Just so we all understand, I can’t do this job by myself,” Payne said. “I can’t. I wish I could.
“I wish I could stand up here and tell you that I have all the answers. I don’t. I really don’t. But here’s what I know: I know that this is a University that’s built on success.”
After Payne was finished speaking, answering media questions, shaking hands and posing for pictures, he retreated to a luncheon on another floor of the KFC Yum! Center.
He circulated throughout the room, repeating his message to more than 80 former U of L players who traveled from across the area and the country (Billy Thompson, Payne’s teammate on the 1986 NCAA title team flew in from South Florida).
All the former Louisville basketball players at Kenny Payne’s introductory press conference on Friday, March 18, 2022 signed his #21 jersey. (WDRB photo)
The players all signed a white framed jersey of the No. 21 that Payne wore when he played for the Cards from 1985-1989. Eventually Payne sat in the center of the room for a long conversation with his former coach, Hall of Famer Denny Crum.
Payne had one final question.
“How did I do?” he asked.
Here is how he did: He inspired tears from many former players, who became emotional seeing a former Cardinal become the program’s first Black head coach.
Guys who knew Payne were more impressed than they expected to be. Guys who had never met Payne left the room eager to invest their energy in Louisville basketball again — and I’m talking about guys who played for Peck Hickman, John Dromo, Crum, Rick Pitino, David Padgett, Chris Mack and Mike Pegues, the U of L coaches who preceded him.
“Listening to Kenny talk, it’s easy to understand why so many players have wanted to play for him over the years,” said Craig Hawley, who played with Payne for three seasons.
“His message is inspiring, getting everybody to focus on something bigger than themselves.”
“It was spiritual,” said Fred Holden, who played on teams with Wes Unseld and Butch Beard in the 1960s.
“It was moving. It was way beyond basketball. It was just what we needed to bring people together.”
Together they were. For his opening act, Kenny Payne brought University of Louisville basketball together in a way it hasn’t been together in many years.
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