LORMAN, Miss. – A former head coach in the SWAC, Andre Payne has been added to the Alcorn State University women's basketball staff as assistant coach, announced by head coach
Courtney G. Pruitt.
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Payne will transition over to the women's game after spending the last five seasons as the men's head coach at Mississippi Valley State.
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"I am excited and looking forward to being apart of Coach Pruitt's staff and the Alcorn family," said Payne. "The talent that we have returning along with the new recruits, I believe it will be a special season for us."
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At
MVSU, he coached two
all-SWAC performers, made four trips to the
SWAC Tournament including a semifinals appearance in 2016 and was named Mississippi Valley State University's Coach of the Year last season.
"Coach Payne brings so much experience to this program because he's been a head coach before and knows how it feels to be in the first chair," Pruitt said. "He's a first-class guy and even better family man. We are delighted to have him on The Reservation."
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Prior to MVSU, Payne served as both the director of athletics and head men's basketball coach at Wiley College.
As a coach at Wiley, he turned in an overall record of 146-104 (89-69 in conference) while leading the Wildcats to the NAIA Tournament in his first campaign (2006-07), ending a 34-year tournament drought. Payne guided his teams to three 20-win seasons, two Red River Athletic Conference Tournament Championships and accumulated a .500 or better record in six of his eight seasons. Payne was listed among the NAIA's Top-25 Active Wins Leaders at the conclusion of the 2012 season.
Payne began his coaching career as an assistant at Texas College for three seasons before being promoted to the head position prior to the 2001-02 season. He accumulated a 62-60 overall mark while going 50-34 during five seasons at the helm. He guided the program to seven trips to the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament and led the squad to its first-ever appearance in the Conference Championship Game during his tenure.
Payne was born in Auburn, Alabama and graduated from Alabama A&M with a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He went on to earn his Master's degree in human performance and sports from New Mexico Highlands University.
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