Letdown Kenny Payne revealed yet another terrible exit, which included…
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In March of 2024, when Kenny Payne was appointed head coach of the storied basketball program at the University of Louisville, it was all champagne, roses, dove releases, and declarations of love and support. Those who have lived long enough will, of course, attest to the pomp, circumstance, and celebration that surround weddings. Marriage is a simple process. The issue isn’t getting married; Coach Kenny Payne and the University of Louisville are no longer on a honeymoon. From this point on, the journey will be fraught with difficulties as we discover the true extent of the commitment.
Since Kenny Payne returned to his alma mater, I’ve only had a few in-person encounters with him. Every time, I was struck not so much by his skill as a basketball coach as by his awareness that what he’s doing is about far more than a group of teenagers bouncing a ball up and down a 94-foot court.
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Payne is obviously knowledgeable about basketball, but that doesn’t make him the best candidate for the Louisville position. A lot of people are basketball coaches. However, there are really few people who truly care for and comprehend the young men who participate in collegiate athletics. Even fewer are concerned with the particular difficulties that teams made up primarily of young Black guys navigating the difficult journey to manhood face. Payne is one of them.
Without a doubt, things are not well at the University of Louisville at this time. That’s not negativity, exaggeration, or hate. It’s just the reality. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” as James Baldwin once stated. Saying words that make people feel good but ignore reality won’t make troubled spaces better. In actuality, U of L has been on life support for about ten years in terms of finances, administration, academics, and athletics due to persistent leadership instability and bad decisions.
