Justin Payne

Biography

Justin Payne returned to Thibodaux to take over the Nicholls Women's Basketball program, being named the 10th head coach in school history. In his first season at the helm the Colonels went 14-18 winning more game than the two previous seasons combined (11). He also led the Colonels to their first postseason victory since 2021. In the 2024-25 season the Colonels won 17 games which are the most for the program since the 2018-19 season which was Payne's final season as an assistant coach with the Colonels. Payne, a former player on the Colonel men's basketball team and long-time assistant for the women's program, made his way back to the Bayou after spending four years as head coach at Division II Georgia Southwestern. Payne amassed a 69-35 overall record in his tenure with the Lady Hurricanes, highlighted by a historic 2022-23 campaign. GSW claimed a program-best 26 victories which included a 13-5 record in the Peach Belt Conference en route to the school's first-ever regular season and tournament titles. Georgia Southwestern won its first two games in the NCAA Southeast Regional by an average of 22 points before falling short of an Elite 8 appearance with a setback against top-seed Catawba. A native of Opelousas, Payne began his coaching career at Nicholls as a graduate assistant under DoBee Plaisance. He then served as an assistant for eight seasons as the Colonels enjoyed their most successful decade in program history. Prior to coaching, Payne was a four-year letterman and