DePaul Basketball: 5 candidates to replace Dave Leitao as head coach

Kenny Payne

DePaul could go in any direction with their new head coach, but if they don’t need someone with head coaching experience then the options will greatly expand. While it may technically be a power conference job, it’s pretty clear that a job like DePaul won’t necessitate a decade of experience in the SEC. However, Payne is someone who fits all of these criteria.

Payne grew up in Mississippi before starring at forward at Louisville under Denny Crum. A first-round draft pick of the 76ers, he spent time in the NBA before embarking on his coaching career. He spent six seasons at Oregon before a decade under John Calipari with Kentucky, including six years as associate head coach. Payne was hired as an assistant by the New York Knicks this past season and continues to serve on Tom Thibodeau’s staff.

There will plenty of potential positions for Payne in the future, perhaps even at the NBA level. Athletic director DeWayne Peevy just spent a decade working at Kentucky and is inherently familiar with Payne’s work. Considering Kentucky’s performance this season, it’s fair to say that Payne played a major role in the Wildcats’ success in recent years; could he pull off success at DePaul?