Betting Odds Released for Louisville Head Coaching Vacancy

Three coaches with Louisville ties headline the betting favorites to take over the Cardinals.

Matthew McGavic | Jan 27, 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The head coaching position for the Louisville men's basketball program has been open for less than 24 hours, but the folks in Las Vegas already have early betting odds for the job.

Sportsline.com is the first site to offer odds as to who will become the next head coach of the Cardinals, and the top three picks all have Louisville ties.

The odds-on favorite is current New York Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne at +400. He is a member of the Cards' 1986 championship team, made his name as an elite recruiter as an assistant at Kentucky under John Calipari, and is beloved by a multitude of former players. The one thing holding him back is that he has zero head coaching experience.

Behind Payne is Bellarmine's Scott Davenport and Seton Hall's Kevin Willard, both tied at +500. Davenport is a Louisville native who had previously served as a Cardinals assistant under both Denny Crum and Rick Pitino, led Bellarmine to a DII championship in 2011, and has had success in their D1 transition. Should Louisville strike out on the big names, Davenport could be a contingency plan.

Willard is a former longtime Louisville assistant under Pitino, and his father Ralph previously served as the associate head coach of the Cardinals. Seton Hall - where Willard has been since 2011 - is struggling a bit this season, but the Pirates have had five 20-win seasons over the previous six years under his watch.

Below is Sportsline.com's full opening betting odds:

Kenny Payne +400
Scott Davenport +500
Kevin Willard +500
Steve Forbes +600
Wes Miller +700
Mark Pope +900
Chris Holtmann +1000
Ed Cooley +1100
Nate Oats +1200
Eric Musselman +1300
Andy Enfield +1500
Mick Cronin +1500
Matt McMahon +2000
Scott Drew +2500
Bruce Pearl +2500

(Photo of Scott Davenport: Stephen R. Sylvanie - USA TODAY Sports)

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Published Jan 27, 2022

MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic