Kenny Payne interviewing with DePaul for head coaching job

Has the time come for Kenny Payne to take his first head coaching job? The former Kentucky assistant and current New York Knicks staff member is interviewing for one with yet another familiar face.

According to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Payne will sit down for a virtual interview with DePaul AD DeWayne Peevy to discuss the program’s vacant head coaching job, joining the likes of Damon Stoudamire of the University of the Pacific and Mike Davis of Detroit-Mercy to receive interviews.

This is just a few candidates expected to do Zoom interviews with DePaul AD DeWayne Peevy, source told @Stadium. There will be more.

Kenny Payne, Knicks assistant
Damon Stoudamire, Pacific coach
Mike Davis, Detroit coach

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 17, 2021

This news comes just two days after The DePaulia reported that Payne had emerged as Peevy’s top target to replace former DePaul head coach Dave Leitao.

“DePaul has potentially identified main target to replace Dave Leitao, who was fired on Monday after six seasons, and it’s a person that athletic director DeWayne Peevy is familiar with: Kenny Payne,” the outlet reported. “A source told The DePaulia that Payne, who is currently an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, is DePaul’s main target to be the men’s basketball team’s new head coach.”

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello also listed Payne as a contender for the job.

The two names that have been linked to DePaul for the last year are Porter Moser and Kenny Payne. Moser is obviously local and has been highly successful at Loyola, while Payne has ties through new AD DeWayne Peevy. Bobby Hurley and Dennis Gates have also been mentioned recently.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 15, 2021

Payne and Peevy spent 10 years together in Lexington, with the former serving an assistant-turned-associate coach under John Calipari and the latter serving as the program’s deputy athletic director. Last offseason, Payne took an assistant coaching job with the New York Knicks on August 11, 2020, while Peevy was hired as the Director of Athletics at DePaul just two weeks later on Aug. 24.

Will Kentucky’s two most crucial departures of the 2020 offseason team up at DePaul next season?