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What really happened in Louisville’s chaotic, twisting and turning basketball coaching search?

There were certainly a lot of behind the scenes rumors and speculation the past two weeks as the Cardinals looked to find Kenny Payne’s replacement.

Cardinal Confidential examines Louisville’s wild ride from Kenny Payne to Pat Kelsey.

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Nobody in Louisville on the day Kenny Payne was fired expected Pat Kelsey to become his replacement. 

But that is now fact.  

If Kelsey, who led Winthrop and Charleston to multiple N.C.A.A. Tournaments, can recruit and coach as well as he delivered his introductory remarks Louisville may erect a statue of Josh Heird. 

Well, that part might be a stretch, bu…

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Louisville athletic director Josh Heird’s search for a new basketball coach has been so botched, mangled and fumbled it deserves to end with the hiring of Pat Kelsey from Charleston. Hopefully, for supporters of the program, Heird will surprise and make one good decision — hiring Richard Pitino from New Mexico. 

For Louisville’s deeply fractured fanbase,…

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Don’t be surprised if Jhrevious Hall, one of the top defensive lineman in the Class of 2025 nationally, plays his college ball at Louisville. 

The 6’2, 300 pounds Hall, rated the No. 41 defensive tackle nationally by 247Sports, visited Jeff Brohm’s Cardinals this week and provided an update on his experience for Cardinal Confidential subscribers ……

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The rumor mill is churning Tuesday morning in Louisville AD Josh Heird’s search for Kenny Payne’s replacement. 

While Indiana State coach Josh Schertz is the presumed favorite in many quarters around Louisville, I’m hearing that two other candidates have emerged atop Heird’s list and the train is moving fast down the tracks towards a decision ….

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Cardinal Confidential has the scoop, plus the latest on Arkansas coach Eric Musselman and McNeese State coach Will Wade.

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After Dusty May’s surprising decision to spurn Louisville for Michigan, Cardinals AD Josh Heird really only has two viable options left to play. 

• Hire Arkansas coach Eric Musselman

• Hire McNeese State coach Will Wade

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Josh Heird finds himself in quite a pickle after two public swing and misses with Scott Drew and Dusty May. The inexperienced and embattled Louisville AD now needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat to satisfy a grumbling, frustrated fan base that is tired of incompetence and losing basketball. In fact, I heard through the grapevine Sunday that Heird is ‘freaking out,’ about the state of Louisville’s flailing coaching search.

Shortly after firing Kenny Payne, Heird stated publicly that he wanted to hire a coach willing to crawl to Louisville for the job. I have it on impeccable authority that McNeese State coach Will Wade would crawl through hot lava to be Louisville’s next coach. 

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Louisville athletic director Josh Heird has turned the Cardinals’ basketball coaching search into an epic disaster after failing to land his top two targets to replace Kenny Payne.

After missing on Scott Drew, who spurned Louisville to remain at Baylor, and Dusty May, who shocked the inexperienced Heird by choosing Michigan at the 11th hour, Heird’s program now appears an embarrassing dumpster fire nationally. 

Louisville’s problem is simple: Weak, incompetent leadership. It’s been a botched search from the beginning. 

Heird, and everyone in Louisville, has known for months, and months and months that he’d be hiring Kenny Payne’s replacement at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign. A competent, worthy AD would have had his ducks in a row to quickly name a top coach who could begin work rebuilding Louisville’s substandard roster, which lost 24 games in Payne’s miserable final season. 

But Heird clearly didn’t have his ducks in a row. Now, after going 0 for 2, Heird is on his last strike. And his next options likely won't excite or inspire a fanbase desperate for winning basketball. 

Following May’s shocking decision, college basketball talking head Jeff Goodman threw out a few duds who simply won’t be palatable to the vast majority of the Louisville faithful. Shaheen Holloway, who has one N.C.A.A. Tournament bid in six seasons as a Division 1 coach and a career 54 percent winning percentage, simply isn’t qualified for the Louisville job. College of Charleston coach Pat Kelsey and South Florida coach Amir Abdul-Rahim, like Holloway, aren’t qualified either. 

If Heird and his bosses have any hopes of salvaging this botched search, they’ll drop the self-imposed, holier-than-thou limiting act and consider a wider group of candidates, including possibilities like Ole Miss coach Chris Beard and McNeese State coach Will Wade. 

I don’t expect that to happen. So who is the next best option after Drew and May?

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There’s a logical reason why Ohio State and Michigan wanted Dusty May. And why Indiana boosters have been day-dreaming about the Florida Atlantic coach leading the Hoosiers back to prominence. 

There’s also an easy explanation why Louisville appears set to name May, the coaching sensation of the 2023 N.C.A.A. Tournament, as Kenny Payne’s replacement in …

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(Amari Williams, USA Today)

Dusty May’s Florida Atlantic staff has expressed interest in several talented, transfer portal targets, all of which boast numerous Power Five suitors.

Could these transfers provide a strong clue about who May might pursue if he becomes Louisville’s new coach? 

Cardinal Confidential examines these intriguing possibilities . . . . . . .

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The Scott Drew watch in Louisville is apparently over. 

College hoops insider Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday afternoon that Drew will stay in Waco, Texas. The Baylor coach also indicated to ESPN 1660 that he plans to continue coaching the Bears following an intense courtship by Louisville — and a reported $8 million annual contract — who is looking for a replacement for fired coach Kenny Payne. 

“I am locked in on Baylor, it’s my family’s home,” Drew said. 

With Drew apparently off the board, Louisville’s coaching search likely turns quickly toward Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May, who led the Owls to the N.C.A.A. Final Four last year and plays Northwestern in the N.C.A.A. Tournament first round Friday. 

What should Louisville fans expect now? What would the Cardinals look like under Dusty May? Cardinal Confidential examines …….

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The big new Saturday regarding Louisville’s coaching search for Kenny Payne’s replacement comes from Columbus, Ohio. 

There’s been considerable buzz in recent weeks that the Buckeyes were heavily targeting Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May, who also appears one of Louisville’s top targets, along with Baylor coach Scott Drew, to fill their coaching vacancy…

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Thursday, the day after Kenny’s Payne’s firing, was a revealing one regarding Louisville's pursuit of No. 1 replacement target Scott Drew, and the financial and N.I.L. packages offered to the Baylor head coach. 

What might that intel tell us about where things stand in Louisville’s search for Kenny Payne’s replacement?

Cardinal Confidential examines what it could mean for the Cardinals ….

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The Kenny Payne era is over. 

Now, Louisville athletic director Josh Heird begins a national search for a new basketball coach, that, in reality, has been ongoing behind the scenes for months. 

Baylor coach Scott Drew is widely regarded as Louisville’s top target. Beyond Drew, Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May, who also is being wooed by Ohio State, could be next in line as Payne’s replacement. 

Whoever takes over Louisville’s beleaguered program faces a major roster overhaul to rebuild a program that went 12-52 in Payne’s two seasons at the helm. 

That roster makeover will take considerable N.I.L. funding. Fortunately, Louisville’s next coach will be able to turn to 502Circle, one of the best N.I.L. collectives, in the nation for help restocking the Cardinals 2024-25 roster with top talent. 

“We’ve enjoyed a tremendous amount of success,” 502Circle spokesman Marc Spiegel told 93.9 TheVille Wednesday. "If you take an informal poll you’ll hear we’re one of the Top 10 (collectives) across the country. 

"We know N.I.L. is a necessity as athletic directors replace personnel. We do whatever we can do to make us an asset as that recruitment happens. We certainly feel that we’re in position to do that.” 

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Whether Drew, May or someone else, there are a few solid pieces Louisville’s new coach could potentially rebuild around next season, but a significant talent upgrade is required to compete at the top of the ACC and return to the N.C.A.A. Tournament.

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This will be short and sweet. 

Ron Cooper? Steve Kragthorpe? 

No, na, not by a long shot. Kenny Payne is without doubt the worst coach and mistake any athletic director has ever made in Louisville history. 

Louisville had no basketball coach in 1913, 1914, and 1915. Those teams had a better winning percentage than Kenny Payne, who finished a miserable two …

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Kenny Payne has reached the end of the runway in Louisville.

Payne coached 64 games as Louisville’s head basketball coach. He lost 52 of those contests — and most weren’t even close.

Tuesday, the Payne Era ended unceremoniously with a 94-85 loss to lowly N.C. State on the so-called ‘Day or Shame’ at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. 

Now that the misery is finally over, frustrated Louisville fans are eager to find a new coach that can help them forget about Kenny Payne’s disastrous two-year tenure.

The Cardinals wish list reportedly begins with Baylor head coach Scott Drew. After Drew, Louisville administrators and AD Josh Heird appear to be eyeing an interesting mix of seasoned head coaches and rising coaching stars who could attain elite status at UofL.

Cardinal Confidential breaks down Louisville’s top targets, identifies a potential BIG TIME surprise candidate, examines which candidates would be a great fits for the Cardinals, why some might not be, and much more.

Who will replace Kenny Payne? If you’re a Louisville hoops fanatic you’ll want to read (and reread) this entire report from start to finish ………..

Scott Drew

The Baylor head coach checks all the boxes. Drew has a proven track record of sustained success in one of the nation’s top hoops conferences (Big 12), is a documented program rebuilder, has won an N.C.A.A. title and enjoyed Big Dance tournament success for two decades, and is regarded as one of the best recruiters in college basketball. The best part, in my view — Drew, 54, has plenty of gas remaining in the tank to rebuild Louisville and would be the sort of splash hire to captivate the college hoops world. Drew possesses the recruiting acumen to quickly assemble a talented roster, via high school recruits and the transfer portal and that’s exactly the type of immediate recruiting success required to reenergize Louisville supporters and entice them to return to their currently empty seats at the KFC Yum! Center. Perhaps Drew simply has no higher ambition in life than to be a Big Fish in the relatively small pond at Baylor, which is fine, but Louisville is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can make Drew one of the highest paid coaches in the sport. Denny Crum couldn’t leave Louisville to return home to UCLA and Rick Pitino couldn’t say no to the Cards when UNLV and Michigan were options. Likewise, it’s hard for me to believe that if Louisville AD Josh Heird gets to the point in the process where a formal offer is placed on the table that Drew says no to the Cardinals. In my estimation, a formal offer from Louisville simply isn’t one coaches turn down. I’d think we’ll have a pretty good idea within the next week or so if Drew will be the guy or Louisville’s search turns toward other targets.

If Scott Drew does say no, and Jay Wright really does enjoy retirement and Billy Donovan doesn’t want to return to college hoops there are a few main targets I’d watch closely . . . . . . .

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Louisville’s miserable 2023-24 season is almost over. So is Kenny Payne’s disastrous tenure. Now, a once-proud power begins search for a new coach capable of restoring the Cardinals to college basketball glory. 

Baylor coach Scott Drew, by most accounts, is the top target on Louisville athletic director Josh Heird’s list. 

This is most important to understand: Louisville is down, way down. The program has taken one negative blow after another for the better part of the past decade. But this is still LOUISVILLE. And whenever this job is available, unless Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas also are available, Louisville will be the most coveted job on the market by qualified college basketball coaches. 

Louisville might not be a Top 5 program all-time, but the job Heird will formally offer someone in the coming days definitely is widely considered one of the Top 5 ‘jobs’ in college basketball. 

There are many reasons Denny Crum and Rick Pitino, both Hall of Famers, called Louisville home for decades. Same for Peck Hickman long ago. Louisville has everything — elite facilities, passionate, loyal fanbase, N.I.L. warchest, and ACC conference affiliation —  an ambitious coach needs to win N.C.A.A. titles and cement Hall of Fame status. Denny Crum did it. So did Rick Pitino. 

It may not appear so, but Louisville’s next coach (Scott Drew?) is walking into an ideal situation. It’s often said a coach doesn’t want to follow a legend. Pitino has been gone a long time and Louisville supporters are desperate for a great coach to take the reins and remake the program into a national contender. If I were Scott Drew I’d be licking my chops about the possibility of following Chris Mack and Kenny Payne at Louisville. It’s perfectly teed up for a coach of Drew’s caliber to drive the green, so to speak.

That’s why Drew, who has milked Baylor for all its worth, is entertaining the idea of finally making a major move and take on a new challenge. Drew fits exactly what Louisville needs leading its program. Baylor’s program was in worse shape than Louisville finds itself today. His rebuilding job in Waco has been absolutely remarkable, taking the Bears from criminal scandal and N.C.A.A. issues to a national title a few years ago. 

Here’s the main reason why Drew might be ready to bolt Baylor for Louisville: N.I.L. 

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Finally, Louisville’s dreadful 2023-24 regular season concluded Saturday night with another uninspiring loss to Boston College at the KFC Yum Center, a loss that dropped Kenny Payne to a horrifically unimaginable 12-51 record in two ugly seasons.

Now, Payne finds himself at the end of the runway with no where else to turn as the losses have mounted and last minute recruiting ploys designed to change the narrative on his impending firing have failed miserably.

Formal news from Louisville’s administration about Payne’s dismissal is expected to occur as soon as Sunday. That pronouncement can’t come soon enough for Cardinal fans tired of losing, tired of lame excuses and misplaced blame from Payne, and tired of the 11th-hour recruiting cheap tricks Payne deployed to stave off his inevitable dismissal.

Cardinal Confidential has insight from industry sources about Payne’s final full week on the job at Louisville …..

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While most Louisville fans are counting the days until athletic director Josh Heird fires Kenny Payne for incompetence, the embattled second year coach and his staff are dabbling in the transfer portal. 

Most assume Payne, who is a pathetic 12-50 in two season’s at Louisville, will be fired shortly after the Cardinals season concludes next week at the ACC Tournament. 

Still, Payne continues to give appearances that his staff is recruiting, hosting elite 2025 recruit Joson Sanon for a stop over visit Wednesday before the 6’5 forward travelled to Lexington for Kentucky’s home finale against Vanderbilt Wednesday night before checking out the Wildcats campus the following day. 

Cardinal Confidential has also learned that Louisville assistant Nolan Smith, Payne’s lead recruiter, has been working the transfer portal in recent hours. 

Fairleigh Dickinson standout Sean Moore spoke with Cardinal Confidential Saturday afternoon about Louisville’s interest and what he’s hearing about Payne’s future …….

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Reports that surfaced following Louisville’s embarrassing home court loss to Notre Dame suggesting top recruits might save Kenny Payne's job were laughable, at best.

The suggestion, offered by lame stream media writers Rick Bozich and CL Brown, that commitments from top high school recruits Karter Knox and Joson Sanon, plus mysterious — and unnamed — for…

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