LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Louisville interim athletics director Josh Heird did not sound like a man in a hurry when he met with reporters after a University of Louisville athletics board meeting on Tuesday.
His comments make up the bulk of the Tuesday updates on the Louisville coaching search.
HOW LONG WILL IT GO? Heird did not tip his hand on whether he might make an early call on Knicks assistant Kenny Payne, who is receiving a growing number of public endorsements for the job. Though he did not set a deadline for the hire.
"I think for us to vet the most highly qualified candidates, it's going to take some time," he said. "And I would hope that if there's coaches out there that are focused on their team, they're not having conversations about their next job. We'll make sure we take as much time as we need to have all the conversations that we need to have to find the right coach."
All of which means that it could be some time before Heird has face-to-face access to some of the candidates he wants to speak with.
What might he do in the meantime?
"Right now, I think it's a lot of research and due diligence," Heird said. "And once again, like I said, last Wednesday, it's listening to the community and all the stakeholders and making sure we know exactly what we're looking for in a head coach, so that when it is time to have those conversations, we can have them efficiently and we can make a decision."
Asked if Louisville will use a search firm, Heird answered that briefly, by saying, "Presumably. I think we'll have an answer on that in the next couple of days."
WHAT ABOUT PAYNE? While other coaches are chasing championships, Payne, by virtue of his position as an NBA assistant, is free to pursue the job now, if he wants to.
To this point, however, Heird says he has not talked to Payne. He said he hears the same chatter everyone else hears, and that he'll welcome a conversation.
"I have not had I've not had any conversations with Kenny," Heird said. "But I can tell you all the success that he's had at UK, once again, I go back to the one qualification, a good basketball coach, and he fits that."
DOES HEIRD STILL EXPECT TO MAKE THE HIRE? Louisville has not yet posted his position, but it could put out a request for candidates at any time. Heird says he won't let whatever it does distract him.
"I fully expect to make this hire," he reiterated. "And that's how I go to bed every night. And I can promise you, I'm not getting a lot of sleep. So I'm thinking about it, because this is a this is a big decision. I understand how big of a decision this is. I understand how much this basketball program and this university means to this community. And we need to make sure that we find the right leader for it. And that's what we expect to do."
Heird said he was encouraged by Saturday's crowd of 19,000-plus for Louisville's game against Duke.
"Hopeful I think that's how I would describe it," he said. "I just think that our fans were looking for something to cheer. And I think the team gave them that on Saturday afternoon."
PEGUES GETS A BOOST: Pegues will get a one-time bonus of $340,000 — equal to his yearly salary — and will be eligible for a number of performance-based incentives in his new deal.
Heird said he spoke with Pegues about his decision to suspend team captain Malik Williams for tonight's game against North Carolina, and supports the coach "100%."
Read more about Pegues' deal here.
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