Ten years definitely isn’t an eternity. Yet in terms of a coaching career, a decade in one spot is something to be celebrated.
In order to hang around that long, your program has to put down roots. And, of course, you have to win. JR Payne has checked both those boxes.
The veteran head coach for the CU women’s basketball team met members of the local media on Monday at the Buffs’ annual winter sports media day, offering a team update as a new-look roster embarks on season No. 10 under Payne.
Payne already was the second-longest tenured coach in program history, although she still isn’t halfway to Ceal Barry’s team mark of 22 seasons. And she officially has spent twice as much time in Boulder as any other stop on her coaching journey.
“Maybe not just one place, but the fact that I’ve been at the University of Colorado for 10 years is very special to us,” Payne said. “It’s actually twice as long as I’ve ever been anywhere as a coach. I was at Gonzaga as an assistant for five years. And then at my first head coaching job at Southern Utah for five years.
“So this is officially, I’m doubling up and really couldn’t be happier with what we’ve been able to accomplish from where we started and how we’ve progressed. Some of the accomplishments that our program has had in the past 10 years, we’re very proud to have been here this long. We feel like this is a special group we have here and feel like it’s going to be a special season for year 10.”
Payne orchestrated a program turnaround after she was hired in March of 2016, a run that culminated in three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024. This year, though, marks the first season none of the rotation players from those teams are on the Buffs’ roster, although third-year guard Kennedy Sanders was redshirting as a true freshman during the 2024 Sweet 16 run.
Like the CU men’s team, 10 players have not yet played a minute of basketball for Payne and the Buffs. Unlike the men’s team, which features seven freshmen, Payne’s club has welcomed five new freshmen alongside five transfers.
There are ongoing preseason position battles being waged across the board for the Buffs, although the late-arriving return of Jojo Nworie from a trip back to her native Nigeria has fortified a CU frontcourt also set to feature Jade Masogayo, the Buffs’ lone selection on the preseason All-Big 12 team released last week.
The final link to the last of Payne’s three consecutive NCAA Tournament teams, Sanders has patiently bided her time at the point, first behind program all-timer Jaylyn Sherrod, and then last season behind Kindyll Wetta. Sanders said she’s ready to lead the way in upholding a program standard that has had the bar raised since Payne arrived a decade ago.
“We have a really good group,” Sanders said. “Obviously everyone’s new, but I think we have a lot of versatility. All of our wings can do everything. So I’m really excited that we just have a lot of versatility. Kind of position-less basketball. It should be cool.”
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