Pat Kelsey on Kenny Payne: 'He is welcome back here like everybody else'

The new head coach of the Louisville men's basketball program is extending an olive branch to the recently-fired head coach of the Cardinals.

New Louisville basketball head coach Pat Kelsey, left, made remarks during his announcement as / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - During Pat Kelsey's introductory press conference, he said that he had recently Googled the top 50 players in the history of the Louisville men's basketball program, and "almost fell down" when he saw the search results. The newly-christened head coach of the Cardinals would then go on to say that these former players "built this" program, and they were welcome back any time they pleased.

The former College of Charleston head coach said that he didn't want to start naming any of the aforementioned former UofL players in his opening statement, for fear of leaving anyone notable out.

However, he did make sure to name one: Kenny Payne.

Of course, earlier this month, Payne was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Cardinals after two years in charge of his alma mater. His tenure at Louisville was an all-systems failure, going just 12-52 overall including 8-24 this season. Kelsey was then officially tabbed as the man to replace Payne on Thursday.

Related: Five Takeaways from Pat Kelsey's Introductory Presser

Despite everything that unfolded while Payne was the man in charge of the Louisville men's basketball program, Kelsey went out of his to extend him an olive branch. He said that Payne is still a Cardinal, and he is just as welcome back as any other former player is.

"Obviously, it didn't work out the way we wanted it, but he is a major, major, major part of Card Nation," Kelsey said. "He is welcome back here like everybody else. He's a world class human being. I don't know him well, but I know a ton of people that know him. We're really proud of who he is, and that he's a Cardinal."

Josh Heird, Louisville's athletic director, had no idea that Kelsey had planned on going out of his way to mention Payne while at the podium. Not only did Kelsey's comments echo Heird's own sentiments on Payne, but he said it "meant a lot" to him that Kelsey was willing to do that.

"I didn't know he was gonna say that," Heird said to the media following Kelsey's introductory press conference. "It meant a lot to me, because I still think the world Kenny. Kenny is an unbelievable human being, unbelievable person. Sometimes, things just don't work out in certain situations, and it didn't work out here.

"But that doesn't change who Kenny is. It doesn't change what he did for this program when he was a player, or the last two years as far as the effort that he put into this place. It meant a lot to me that Pat was willing to say that."

Payne was a four-year player for the Cardinals from 1985 to 1989, helped Louisville win a national championship in 1986, and is a 1,000-point scorer. The Laurel, Miss. native was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 19 overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft.

(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA)

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