Talladega College has announced the hiring of Andre Payne as the new head coach of the women’s basketball team, the Lady Tornadoes per a report by WHoopsDirt. Payne brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the role, aiming to revitalize a team that ended last season with a 9-19 record and a swift exit from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament.

Andre Payne’s coaching career began in 1999 as an assistant coach at Texas College, where he advanced to head coach in 2001. During his tenure, he compiled an 82-76 record over five years. Payne’s prowess was evident at Wiley College, where he served as Director of Athletics and Head Men’s Basketball Coach from 2006 to 2014, leading the team to a 146-104 record and their first NAIA Tournament berth in 34 years.

In 2014, Payne took on the Head Men’s Basketball Coach role at Mississippi Valley State University. His leadership saw the development of two All-SWAC performers, four appearances in the SWAC Tournament, and significant fundraising achievements, raising over $3 million for the athletic department.

Transitioning to women’s basketball in 2019, Payne joined Alcorn State University as an assistant coach. His strategic influence significantly improved the Lady Braves’ performance, boosting their season wins from four to fourteen and establishing them as one of the top defensive teams in NCAA Division 1.

Talladega’s Lady Tornadoes hope to benefit from Payne’s extensive experience and strategic coaching approach. The team struggled with a 6-9 conference record last season and suffered a decisive loss to Fisk University in the GCAC tournament, suggesting that Payne’s appointment may bring the fresh perspective needed for a turnaround.

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The team’s last winning season was in the 2021-2022 school year where the Lady Tornadoes finished with a 21-12 overall record and a respectable 10-7 conference record. Payne says he wants to bring the program back to that level of sustained winning.

“My primary goal is to re-establish the winning tradition of recent years of Talladega College women’s basketball,” Payne said in a statement obtained by WHoopDirt. “There has been a lot of success here in the last ten years and I want to re-establish that.”