I don't like Louisville, but let's not try to completely re-write history. We are definitely way up right now on the rivalry, but it was UK, not UL, that refused to play the other in the 70s and early 80s. The Metro Conference used to be really good. Memphis, Louisville, UAB all had good teams in the late 70s and early 80s. ESPN changed basketball and caused what are now the "power" conferences to take the lead. It was the game in Knoxville during the tournament that brought the rivalry back together. Before then, it was just a constant "UK is better" or "UL is better" with no real evidence of who was correct. UL embraced the more athletic type player (take that how ever you want to) before we did and it caused Joe B to not want to play them during the season.
Payne fired
- Thread starter moses1uk
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I think Louisville was a good program in the 80s and 90s. But after that it should have ended. Pitino elevated that program and it's only because he wanted to be back at UK. And thought he could turn UL into UK. That program should have died in 1995. Pitino just gave them a few more years of life. I think they're done after this next hire.
Like it or not, UL has a fan base that will support their teams. They will insist on a basketball program that is relevant, if it means running off the AD. BTW, the whole "commuter school" mantra has run its course. They have a higher percentage of students living on campus than we do now.
He got a padded bank account and will chill out being Cal’s friend at worst. Come back and be a Players friend again. He’s good at that for sure.
That have the fans but not the money or stability now. That’s an issue. Now they have won 12 games in 2 years and have been trending down since 2015. Not in a great spot. This hire will make or break them for a long time.
I don't think UAB was Metro. The Metro was Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Saint Louis, Georgia Tech and Tulane. Florida State made it seven, then Georgia Tech left after one season and was replaced by Virginia Tech.
I hope Payne lands on his feet
I do not want that to be Kentucky.
I do not want that to be Kentucky.
Would you feel sorry for him if he was coaching UK? I bet not.
Nolan Smith leaves Duke as an assistant coach for UL and now is without a job. So Smith leaves Duke. Jai Lucas leaves UK for Duke. I do like UK staff right now. Not a big fan of Flint but you know Cal will always make room for his buddies. Maybe since UK is doing well and in the spotlight, Bruiser get a HC job somewhere this year and KP comes back. Yes....full circle.
Is that a move Smith regrets? LOL!
Is that a move Smith regrets? LOL!
WLKY in Louisville reporting it could be as early as today. No shock at all. Some folks aren't cut out to be the main guy.
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I'm curious, why do people NOT want payne to return to UK? I'm not saying he ever would, but why is that so bad? He was here during the glory years of the Cal era, which was one of the most dominant periods in the history of the game. He was here to bring in AD, Randall, Noel, and KAT and was the guy who coached the big men. We probably all agree that Cal isn't the greatest XO coach, but when he had that rock star staff it was money. Bringing KP back along with Coach O and with Walsh in the Robic role it feels like that would be awesome yeah?
Listen the POS stuff I don’t know, I’ve always heard the opposite, but he did not develop Anthony Davis or KAT, WCS couldn’t hit a layup here if he tried. He had some great talent to work with I don’t believe for a second he had anything to do with it. “Works with the bigs” is code for he doesn’t recruit, can’t coach, we gave him a title”.
He’s a Calipari yes man and well liked that’s it. IMO we don’t need him we need to move on to real coaches like Welch or guys who recruit well. He does neither.
Payne has pretty much been exposed as to who he is. Let’s move on, no need in going backwards. I’m also sick of the intermixing between these programs. Goes back to “pitino players” (UK players) on lousiville’s wall. I’m just tired of it, no other big time program mixes with their rival. Just stop it. Oh my god stop.
This will be replayed over the next 50 years so many times…….
I read some of their comments, they can’t wait to have the Yum back to full capacity next season. No coach, no assistants, no recruits signed for next season, a mass exodus coming this season, what will they be packing in the Yum for? Ice skating???
This will set Louisville back two decades.
I wanna thank Kenny Payne for his work as a double agent for us. The job he's done further imploding the UL basketball program is quite impressive. He really took to the task that's for sure. Might be a decade before they get their heads above water again.
Would agree with the general sentiment that KP is one of those dudes who is a way better assistant.
Nothing wrong with that.
Kind of like Joker. Great dude, solid recruiter, great OC that broke records and helped save the program. Sputtered as HC, but has always been able to find work and now AHC at NC ST, a solid 9 win team that may actually make some noise in a weak ACC next year.
KP, great recruiter, solid assistant, likeable guy, players type of coach that does well with kids and their families on the recruiting trail. Was part of bringing the program back and reaching some pretty high highs. Didn't work out as HC.
Would also put a heavy piece of the blame on UL, that athletic department and institution as a whole just wasn't in good shape for a lot of reasons.
Nothing wrong with that.
Kind of like Joker. Great dude, solid recruiter, great OC that broke records and helped save the program. Sputtered as HC, but has always been able to find work and now AHC at NC ST, a solid 9 win team that may actually make some noise in a weak ACC next year.
KP, great recruiter, solid assistant, likeable guy, players type of coach that does well with kids and their families on the recruiting trail. Was part of bringing the program back and reaching some pretty high highs. Didn't work out as HC.
Would also put a heavy piece of the blame on UL, that athletic department and institution as a whole just wasn't in good shape for a lot of reasons.
What's crazy is I just spoke to one of Denny C's good friends who always played cards with him right up until his passing. He said Denny would always say how Lazy Kenny was as a player. Wonder if that still holds true today?
That developing big guys was made up somewhere and this board took it and ran with it. They were trying to give him credit because he did nothing else, recruiting or coaching.
Will Vitale accuse duh Ville of being racist when he’s fired?
Seems a little strong to talk this way about someone you presumably don’t know. Might want to tone that irrational anger for no apparent reason down a notch or two.
Kenny was a big time recruit that both UK and U of L were after. He decided after the Derby Festival Classic basketball game, which he played in. He went to U of L and barely played his first year (85-86) and Crum blamed it on his coming from a HS system where they didn't play defense. He was really not that good at U of L until his senior year. His demeanor on the court was certainly laid back and maybe lazy, but that does not necessarily tell the whole story. But, I doubt that anyone looked at him as a player and though "that guy is going to be a good coach".
Lazy people don't get to the level of success Payne has had as an assistant. Cal hasn't kept him around all these years for his banana nut bread recipes. Lazy is what I would call some of these posts about him.
Crum said he was. And lots of lazy people climb the ladder. I love Tubby Smith, but he was lazy at recruiting. Cal has become lazy
I don't have an issue bringing KP back in the same role he left here with. I think KP is most likely best working with kids one on one, teaching them the aspects of their position. He is not an X's & O's game manager type coach. he is best suited doing the thing that produced some of our best ever big men, and prepared them to excel at the pro level.
Remember when some suggested KP replace Cal. Wow! He thinks he had pressure at UL...if this would have been UK....1000% worse than even BCG.
Cal "better not"?
What are YOU going to do about it if he does bring him back to Lexington?
My guess is you will only continue to whine and complain like you always have.
I hope not. They made the Final 4 in the 2004/2005 season
Jeff2Reed you are correct. It appears on TV that Cal doesn’t ask his assistants (bench coaches) for advice or let them interfere in any way with his sideline coaching. I mean, he could let them yell “Run! Go!” at least a few times.
Being fired as a D1 football or basketball coach is kind of an incredible reward lol. Sure I guess your pride could be hurt. But you are financially set for life. Never have to work again if you don’t want to
Oh it was a lot of them and I called it out as stupid on many occasions. I know two that said as much right now but I won’t go there. Many of the fans who support Calipari the most pushed this idea, and none of them have come out and said what an awful idea it was. But I guess we’ve all been there.
Anyone see the stories of Nolan Smith leaking KOs firing in December? What an ***.
https://www.nationofblue.com/report...s-about-kenny-payne-being-fired-to-the-media/
https://www.nationofblue.com/report...s-about-kenny-payne-being-fired-to-the-media/
Former Kentucky stars and eventual No. 1 NBA Draft picks Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns have spoken at length about the role Payne played in their developments, while in a 2018 interview about the coach, former UK forward Reid Travis noted Payne had a notable impact on the growth of other former Kentucky standouts like Julius Randle and Bam Adebayo, two current NBA stars. Former UK big man Nick Richards once said Payne is "a dude that everybody loves."
Kenny
Kenny