Will Kenny Payne get fired? 5 reasons why Louisville coach is on the hot seat

Kenny Payne may be the coach with the hottest seat in college basketball as the 2023-24 regular season winds down. The Louisville Cardinals coach, who also played his college basketball for the program, has found minimal success in his two seasons on the job.

Let's take a look at five reasons that Payne could wind up losing his job following the season.

5 reasons why Kenny Payne is on the hot seat

#1: Louisville Cardinals have struggled during his tenure

The Louisville Cardinals have struggled tremendously during Kenny Payne's tenure. While he brought in the sixth-ranked recruiting class in 2023, it has not resulted in tangible improvements on the court. The Cardinals are just 12-47 during his two-year stretch leading the program. Payne's buyout clause is $8 million, however, it will decrease to $6 million after March 31.

#2: Back-to-back seasons with 20 losses is likely

The Louisville Cardinals were 13-19 in the season before Kenny Payne took over as head coach. After finishing 4-28 last season, the Cardinals are now 8-19 with four games remaining on their regular season schedule.

While three of their opponents are middle-of-the-pack teams in the ACC, they will also face the No.8-ranked Duke Blue Devils, who sit atop the conference standings. Louisville will likely wind up with 20 losses for the second consecutive season.

#3: Back-to-back last-place finishes in the ACC is likely

In addition to finishing with 20 losses for the second consecutive season, the Louisville Cardinals are once again in line to finish at the bottom of the ACC standings as they are just 3-13 in conference play. While their record has slightly improved in Kenny Payne's second season on the job, the results have been nearly identical, and not in an encouraging way.

#4: Eric Musselman has been linked to the Louisville Cardinals

While the Arkansas Razorbacks have struggled to the tune of a 13-13 record, that includes a 4-9 mark in SEC play, head coach Eric Musselman remains among the most coveted coaches in college basketball. He has been linked to the Louisville Cardinals job, and if he is ready to accept the position, Kenny Payne will likely be relieved of his duties.

#5: There has been plenty of fan backlash

While fan backlash does not matter much in professional sports, that is not always the case in collegiate sports. Louisville Cardinals fans have been adamant about their desire for the program to move on from Payne, going as far as starting petitions to do so. If the teams were winning, the chatter would be easier to block out, however, their struggles have made doing so nearly impossible.

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