Sources -- Louisville to inform Kenny Payne he's out as coach - ESPN

Louisville officials expect to inform Kenny Payne within the next 24 hours that he will not return as men's basketball coach, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Payne had yet to speak with athletic director Josh Heird by Tuesday night since losing in the ACC tournament earlier in the day. Louisville's season ended with a 94-85 loss to NC State, as the Cardinals finished 8-24 overall and 3-17 in ACC play.

Louisville is expected to owe Payne around $8 million, the buyout of what's remaining on the six-year contract he signed when he was hired, sources told ESPN. He finishes his Louisville career with an overall record of 12-52, with just one win away from home.

Following Tuesday's loss, Payne was asked about his performance as Louisville coach and whether he deserved a third year.

«For me, I go back to day one,» he said. «When I walked into the program as the new head coach, I talked about, I needed everybody on the same page. We sort of forgot that. I talked about how I'm not going to let you blame me. I'm not standing up here by myself. I need all of Louisville with me. We sort of forgot that. I talked about, it's going to take time, and I'm going to watch and see who jumped on and off the Titanic. We sort of forgot that. I gave a specific time. I said three or four years. And I'm good with that. That's what I believed at that time, and that's what I still believe it takes to fix this program.

»With guys like this, you have a foundation. Brandon [Huntley-]Hatfield, Mike James, JJ Traynor, the young guys we have, we have a foundation. Whether I'm the coach or not, I can look in the mirror and say I gave it everything I had to help this program."

Payne, who played at Louisville and won a national championship with the Cardinals