John Calipari on Kenny Payne on his staff: 'We're in the foxhole together'

John Calipari and Kenny Payne have spent the past few seasons on separate, if not opposing, sidelines. Now, at Arkansas, the pair are back together again on the same staff.

Calipari spoke about Payne and the rest of his Razorback staff during a press conference on Monday. When it comes to Payne, along with his other assistants like Chin Coleman, Chuck Martin, Bruiser Flint, and his own son in Brad Calipari, he knows what they’re all going to do and know that they’re all going to do it together.

“Well, Kenny – and Chin is here, you’re talking Chucky. They’re all brothers. We’ve been in the fight together. We’ve been in the foxhole together. What we know is that no one is going to run for coffee and not come back. We’re in the foxhole together,” said Calipari. “We’re each other’s PR machine. They know how I’m going to be towards them. I give them room to do their thing.”

“They’re all working, they all add value, they all create relationships,” Calipari said.

Calipari and Payne spent a decade together at Kentucky with him as an assistant and associate head coach under Cal. Those years were the most successful for his tenure with Wildcats as they went 295-74 overall (.799) with plenty of their postseason success, including the national championship. He also got much of the credit for their level of recruiting and development within the program.

“Kenny and I had an unbelievable run,” noted Calipari. “Let me just say – that 10 years, eight years may never be matched by anybody. That was ridiculous.”

Since then, Payne has worked in separate stints as an assistant with the New York Knicks and as the head coach of his alma mater in the Louisville Cardinals.

Payne’s time with Louisville went poorly with a 12-52 (.188) record during two years. That led to his dismissal after last season.

With him back with Calipari now, he wants to rebuild some of his confidence after that with what he knows he is as a coach.

“Here’s what I would say. First of all, I wanted Kenny to know that you’re Kenny Payne. I don’t care about any of that,” said Calipari. “I know Kenny Payne – what you do for kids, how you add value, how you care, your heart.”

Calipari puts a lot of emphasis on loyalty when it comes to his staff. That’s why it’s so important for him to have one his most-trusted members back with him in Fayetteville.

“It has been fun. You know, I think I’ve got an unbelievable staff. I really do,” said Calipari. “It’s top to bottom. Staffs have become bigger than they used to be so you’ve got a lot of people.”