NAU loses women's basketball head coach Loree Payne to Santa Clara

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.

The search is on in Flagstaff for a new women's basketball coach at Northern Arizona University.

Head coach Loree Payne announced Monday that she will leave NAU after eight years as she has accepted a new job as the head coach of the Santa Clara University women's basketball team.

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"Thank you, Northern Arizona University," Payne said in a statement posted to NAU Athletics website .

"I am beyond grateful for the past eight years at NAU, where I had the incredible opportunity to rebuild the women's basketball program from the ground up.

What started as a vision turned into a championship program, and I couldn't be more proud of the journey we took together.

To the NAU Athletic Department, thank you for your unwavering support and belief in what we were building.

To the players, past and presentyou are the heart of this program.

Your hard work, resilience, and dedication made this transformation possible, and I am forever grateful to have coached such an amazing group of athletes.

Flagstaff will always hold a special place in my heart, filled with unforgettable memories, lifelong friendships, and the joy of seeing this program rise.

Thank you, Lumberjack Family, for everything!" Payne's departure comes after she led the Lumberjacks to a record of 27-8 this season, the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament, and a berth in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, where NAU defeated cross-state rival Arizona, 71-69, before losing to Belmont, 81-80, in the second round.

Payne amassed a career record of 136-116 (88-62 Big Sky), which makes the winningest head coach in NAU women's basketball history.

"Coach Payne built a championship-caliber program and provided an exciting brand of basketball which captivated the Lumberjack community," NAU interim athletic director Uri Farkas said.

"She departs as the all-time winningest coach in NAU history, and we are grateful for her service to Northern Arizona University.

We wish Coach Payne and the Santa Clara Bronco family all the best." Her best season in Flagstaff came in 2022-23, when she led the Lumberjacks to a share of the Big Sky regular season title, with a record of 19-12 (13-5 Big Sky), earning her the title of Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year.

The Lumberjacks lost to Sacramento State in the championship of the Big Sky Tournament and then fell to New Mexico in the first round of the WNIT to end the season.

In total, Payne led the Lumberjacks to three straight seasons of at least 20 wins from 2022-25 and saw 14 players earn All-Big Sky Conference honors.

Six of those players were named to the All-Big Sky first team.

"I am thankful for Coach Payne's commitment to NAU these past eight years," NAU president Jose Luis Cruz Rivera said.

"Her leadership and compassion have been evident not only in wins and awards, but most importantly in the success of our student-athletes on the court, in the classroom, and in life after basketball.

I am truly happy for Loree and wish her continued success at Santa Clara." Payne was the 12th head coach of the NAU women's basketball program and was hired in 2017, coming over from the University of Puget Sound in Washington, where she coached for seven years and had a record of 130-58.

She took over the program from Robyne Bostick, who spent one season as NAU's interim head coach.

She is originally from Montana and played college basketball at Washington, where she was named to the All-Pac-10 Conference first team twice.

She also led the Huskies to the Elite Eight in 2001.

Prior to coaching at Puget Sound, Payne was an assistant coach at Northwest Nazarene University for two seasons, an assistant coach at the University of Portland for three seasons and an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington for three seasons.

NAU says that a national search for their next head coach has already begun.

NAU is the third major university in Arizona to search for a new women's basketball head coach this month.

Arizona State hired Molly Miller away from crosstown rival Grand Canyon.

The Lopes then hired Winston Gandy, an assistant coach from South Carolina.

Arizona sports The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBAs Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury.

The Indoor Football Leagues Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.

Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tours highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.

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