Waking the Sleeping Demon | Maize's DePaul Dynasty

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Early Update on DePaul's Coaching Search
When new DePaul Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy arrived to Lincoln Park in August, he told everyone involved to "dream big dreams." He did not want the Athletic Department to be thinking small, but instead to take bigger swings and get creative to make each sports program better.

He has not been shy about stating the importance of the men's basketball program to the Athletic Department and the University. Peevy knows the history well; a storied program under Ray Meyer who has not found the right leader to get them back to a consistent, winning level.

Part of dreaming big also involved an increase in investment into key programs. Peevy led a $1 million dollar fundraising blitz last year, and has said that DePaul won't miss out on investing in 'talent.' Right now, that means an investment in the basketball program.

One day after Dave Leitao parted ways from DePaul, the Athletic Department has already started their search for his replacement. Since fans have been told to 'dream big dreams,' there have been rumors that link many coaches to the opening with the Demons.

It's unknown the exact criteria, but it seems that nothing will limit DePaul from bringing in the best coach for the job. Here are some of the names (alphabetically) that are often rumored in connection with DePaul:

- John Beilein, former Michigan Head Coach. Not coaching in 2020, working as an analyst for the Big Ten Network. He is well respected, after building a top program at Michigan that included two Final Four appearances. At 68 years old, it's unknown if he plans on returning to coaching. That hasn't stopped his name from being connected to many of the top openings in college basketball this cycle. ​

- Dennis Gates, Cleveland State Head Coach. After leading the Vikings to the NCAA tournament, Gates has become a hot name attached to many open jobs this year. A Chicagoan, he attended Whitney Young High School at the same time as DePaul and NBA player Quentin Richardson. He was an ace recruiter for numerous Power 5 schools, including Florida State. A rising name in coaching circles, he could be a strong, young hire for DePaul.

- Bobby Hurley, Arizona State Head Coach. Hurley was originally tied to DePaul back when Leitao was brought back six years ago. He has proven to be a strong recruiter and has led two different programs to the NCAA Tournament (Arizona State and Buffalo). He did, however, recently lose his lead assistant (and DePaul alum) Rashon Burno to Northern Illinois. Burno took the Head job in DeKalb, leaving questions about Hurley’s connection to the Chicagoland area. It’s been reported that he could leave Arizona State, but it’s not know if he would join the Big East to potentially coach against his brother Dan at UConn.

- That Matta, former Ohio State Head Coach. Matta's name has been tied to many openings in the Big Ten and programs in the Midwest in the last two years. His 439 wins in 17 seasons includes strong stops at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State. It's unknown if he has interest in returning to coaching at this time.

- Archie Miller, recently fired from Indiana as Head Coach. While Miller struggled during his time with the Hoosiers; he was a top coach at the mid-major level when he led Dayton to the Elite Eight. Miller is still young and has proven to be a strong recruiter. Although four years at Indiana yielded no tournament appearances, he’s still just 42 years old and could be looking for a spot to prove he can still build a winning program.

- Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago Head Coach. Moser led the Ramblers back to the NCAA tournament this past season. He first caught national attention when he led Loyola to the Final Four in 2018. He has been a Head Coach for 17 seasons and has developed a strong reputation as an X’s and O’s coach. If he’s looking to move on from Loyola, DePaul would be a step up in competition. It would also bring increased expectations, while keeping him in Chicago.

Two other names to consider are top assistants with ties to DeWayne Peevy: Current Knicks Assistant Coach Kenny Payne and Kentucky Assistant Joel Justus. Payne was a strong recruiter for Coach Calipari at UK, while also being considered one of the stronger player development coaches in the country. He’s now in the NBA and it’s not known if he wants to return to college. He has been interviewed previously for Head Coach positions, including at Mississippi State.

Justus has been an assistant at UK for the last five years and he’ll soon be ready to move on to head coaching duties. Under Calipari, he no doubt learned what it takes to recruit and win at the high-major level.

Those are just some of the names that are often tied to the opening at DePaul. This is not a complete list, as it’s expected Peevy is leading a national search and is feeling the pressure as this will be his first Head Coach hired while leading DePaul athletics.

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DePaul Hires Kenny Payne as Head Coach
DePaul University has its new basketball coach. Kenny Payne will be named the University's 13th head basketball coach in the program's history. Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy wasted no time; in his first full year as Head Coach, he went back to his time at Kentucky and brought in a former Wildcats Assistant to lead the Blue Demons program.

Kenny Payne, 54, spent this past year in the NBA with Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks. It was his first season in the pros, after spending 16 years as an assistant at the college level.

Payne worked for John Calipari at Kentucky for 10 seasons (2010-20). During his time with the Wildcats, they won a National Championship and became one of the best programs in college basketball. Kentucky also became known for sending players to the pros, something that many credit to Payne and his recruiting prowess.

This past season, he was hired to be part of Tom Thibodeau's first staff with the New York Knicks. While Payne will be leaving before the end of the season, he was heralded for his work with the young players on the roster. That includes former Kentucky players Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle.

Beyond being a top recruiter for Kentucky, he worked closely with the team's big men including the likes of Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Bam Adebayo. When it was announced that Payne was leaving for the NBA, many former players praised the move and their time working with Coach Payne.

Payne was a former first round pick for the Philadelphia 76ers, having a strong prep career at Louisville. The Cardinals alum went on to enjoy a four-year career in the NBA before ultimately landing on coaching. He was given his first chance at being an assistant under Ernie Kent at Oregon. From there, he would build a strong reputation as a top recruiter and player development coach.

Coach Payne now comes to DePaul, taking over a program at a crossroads. They've struggled to compete in the Big East, and have not built the program identity many would expect from a University in the heart of a recruiting hotbed. DePaul has a storied program history, and they're hoping Payne and Peevy can return them to those glory days.

AD Peevy worked with Payne at Kentucky. When Peevy took over at DePaul, he was credited for the network of coaches and administrators that he built while at UK. During the coaching search, there were often coaches rumored with a connection to Peevy. In the end, he leaned on those connections when making his first major hiring decision as Athletic Director.

Kenny Payne will be introduced at an introductory press conference tomorrow afternoon. In a brief statement released to media, he thanked "Coach Thibs" and mentioned that it was difficult to leave the Knicks as they're on the doorstep to returning to the playoffs. He also thanked "Coach Cal," referencing Kentucky coach John Calipari.

"Coach Cal always believed that I would get a shot to run my own program," Payne said in a statement released to media. "He have me an opportunity to become a better coach and learn what it takes to win at the highest level."

Many around the DePaul program are hoping Payne can get the Demons to winning 'at the highest level.' DePaul has now missed the NCAA tournament for 17 straight seasons. Multiple coaches have tried, but now Kenny Payne get his chance.

It will be his first time as a Head Coach, but he is drawing on a long and respected career. When the news broke, former players and coaches applauded the move, including former DePaul alumni. Many are hoping that Payne can exorcise the demons that haunt the program - and then take them to the top of college basketball.

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DePaul AD Peevy Comments on New Coach, Program Vision
Today, DePaul introduced Kenny Payne as the men’s basketball program’s next Head Coach. It was a day of celebration for the University, the Athletic Department, it’s fans, and alumni. DePaul had been looking for someone to take the program over and lead them back to the NCAA Tournament. Another March has come and gone without the Blue Demons dancing, and Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy is hoping those days are gone.

“I’m dreaming big dreams of being Chicago’s team again,” said Peevy. “I believe new leadership will help us take that next step to where we are still playing basketball this time of year, instead of watching it on TV. I want that for our student athletes who will carve a day out. I want that for our alumni and our fans. And I want that for our university to continue to grow its national exposure through athletics. I know what championship level basketball is all about. And I know that we can build a championship program here at DePaul, and I refuse to believe otherwise.”

Many men have tried to make DePaul Chicago’s team. Currently, no team has taken the mantle, although many will make programs have tried to make a case. It’s made recruiting in the city of Chicago open to many competitors, including large programs like Kansas and Kentucky. Peevy’s decision to bring in Kenny Payne signals that he knows the importance of recruiting and competing with the top programs for the best players.

Peevy knows this won’t be an easy or short process. Making the investment in a new coach and staff is just one of the first steps. Making investments into the program and creating a better fan atmosphere for home games at Wintrust Arena is another. Peevy has already proven to be a deft fundraiser, and said that men’s basketball will be the focus for future investment projects.

Peevy has now, in many ways, tied his success to the success of Kenny Payne. While the men know each other, going back over a decade to the University of Kentucky, they’ll now be working closer to build a winning program.

“This University deserves more.” said Payne, as Peevy sat alongside his new Head Coach, nodding in agreement.

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2021-22 D1 Men's Basketball Coaching Changes
Followed real life 2021-22 Coaching changes

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Just a note as I'm setting this up. I'm using Sandbox mode and I am going in and making these coaching changes. I wanted to include all programs that have made a change so far.

[Huston]

How? I didn’t think that was possible? To move coaches/hire them

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DePaul Releases Details of Payne's Contract, Incentives
New basketball coach Kenny Payne has hit the ground running in Lincoln Park. He is currently putting together a coaching staff, with the help of Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy. Payne wants to bring in an experienced staff, but also a staff that can help build relationships and recruit throughout the country.

While Peevy and Payne continue to discuss their lofty goals for the basketball program; the University made available the details of their new coach's contract. While DePaul is a private institution, Peevy has tried to remain transparent in the decisions and finances of the Athletic Department.

In total, Kenny Payne has signed a five year contract worth $8.85 million in total. In the first and second year of his contract, his total compensation is $1.65 million. In year three, it raises to $1.75 million. In the final two years, the total raises to $1.9 million.

What has gotten the attention of many is the incentive structure. While the base salary is on par with the rest of the Big East; the incentives show that success in the Big East has been emphasized.

Contract Incentives (Bonus Amounts)
GSR Above National Average: $25,000
GPA Above 3.0 Cumulative: $25,000
Big East Coach of the Year: $25,000
National Coach of the Year: $50,000
Big East Regular Season Champion (Tied or outright): $50,000
Big East Tournament Champion: $50,000

Academic success and wins in the Big East are he main items outlined in the incentives. Many expected that postseason appearances might have been highlighted. While it remains important, it's clear that DePaul wants to focus on stacking up in the Big East Conference.

The assistant coach salary pool is also outlined. It will raise in Years 3 and 5. At the outset, it's a $385,000 pool that gives Payne the control of hiring his top three assistants and the program's Director of Basketball Operations.

This contract makes it clear that DePaul is committed to competing and finding success. They have made the investment, and now it's up to Kenny Payne to deliver with a product on the court that fits the expectations.

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How? I didn’t think that was possible? To move coaches/hire them

If you go to the commissioner control, you can hire and fire coaches. I haven't run into any problems with that.

[Huston]

Must be a new feature. wasnt there last year, iirc

[Huston]

It won’t let me mess with head coaches at all. Can you explain how you’re doing so? Not obligated to so don’t worry if busy