Former Louisville head coach Kenny Payne joins John Calipari’s crew at Arkansas

Arkansas has employed Kenny Payne as affiliate head coach, reuniting him with original Razorbacks head coach John Calipari.

Payne change into let stir by Louisville in March after going 12-52 accurate through his two seasons as head coach.

Between 2010 and 2020, Payne change into an assistant and later affiliate head coach beneath Calipari at Kentucky. The two helped the Wildcats rob a national title in 2012, reach one other championship sport in 2014 and decide phase in four Final Fours.

At Kentucky, Payne change into identified for increasing skills and helping this system advise solid recruiting courses. Former Wildcat and four-time NBA All-Important individual Karl-Anthony Towns instructed The Athletic in 2019 that Payne is “one amongst one of the best pattern coaches on this planet” and “the horse beneath the jockey driving Kentucky basketball.”

Recruiting will almost definitely be important now for Arkansas as handiest one participant is in the intervening time listed on the men’s crew roster. But Calipari’s departure from Kentucky is in most cases a pick for the Razorbacks in further ways than one.

Five players from Kentucky’s six-member recruiting class of 2024 hold de-committed since Calipari’s departure. Wildcats freshman Zvonimir Ivisic change into one amongst five players to enter the switch portal this spring. Ivisic is so some distance the handiest who has said he is heading to Arkansas.