Report: Louisville AD Josh Heird reaffirms Kenny Payne as Cardinals coach moving forward

With his official record dropping to 9-35 on Thursday night, many thought Louisville’s latest defeat might officially be the end for Kenny Payne. However, as of Friday, Cardinal AD Josh Heird has maintained Payne’s status as the leader of the program.

On Friday, Heird shared the update regarding Payne’s future with the program in a story from Eric Crawford at WDRB. Following conversations in their own building, he says Payne will remain as head coach while he continues to monitor and evaluate them like each of his programs while their season continues.

BREAKING | Amid struggles, Louisville AD Josh Heird says Kenny Payne will remain as basketball coach https://t.co/rQtX5LJWle pic.twitter.com/qdEcxEc4Vj

— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) December 22, 2023

“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,” said Heird. “I’m going to do what I do with every one of our programs, which is evaluate what’s happening throughout the season.”

In Heird’s opinion, this is currently the best route to ensure that Louisville returns to the level that he and the fans expect the program to consistently be at moving forward.

“I want this basketball team to be great. 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,” said Heird. “I want us to be a great basketball program. I’m going to work every day to try to get us back to that point. And I have confidence that we can.”

Heird also noted that support within the locker room for Payne led him to go in this direction.

“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,” Heird said. “That is that is not the case right now.”

Louisville lost 95-76 to their in-state rival in Kentucky at the Yum! Center on Wednesday night in front of a crowd with plenty of opposing blue. The Cardinals allowed a season-high of 95 points to the Wildcats in their fifth loss of the series’ last six.

Still, it’s the other aspects that had some ready to call it a day on Payne’s tenure, regardless of his status as an alumni. Again, in 44 games as head coach, Louisville has a .205 winning percentage. They went 4-28 last season and presently sit with a 5-7 record this year.

Over that span, it includes losses to Bellarmine, Wright State, Appalachian State, Lipscomb, Chattanooga, DePaul, and Arkansas State. All but one of those defeats came on their own home floor.

Inner turmoil, like the ones regarding Ty-Laur Johnson or others including Koron Davis, hasn’t made this season much better, albeit with one more win on the court already than they had a season ago.

Frustration with the state of Louisville is more than justified at this present time. That’s why, coming into today, many saw a shift on the horizon.

Instead, like it or not, Payne will return after the New Year and start their season in the ACC.

Louisville will reutrn to action for their conference opener on January 3rd at Virginia.