Second Head Coach JR Payne Season JR Payne enters her second Santa Clara’s first win at its Bay Area rival in 32 years; it was season as head coach at the the second win on what would become a 12-game winning University of Colorado in streak. It was just one of seven regular-season setbacks for 2017-18. She was named the Cardinal, which advanced to the Elite Eight. The Broncos the eighth head women's defeated Gonzaga 59-58 in the quarterfinal round of the basketball coach in program WCC tourney before falling in the semifinals to BYU, an history on March 28, 2016. eventual No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. In her first year in 2016-17, The Broncos were one of the nation’s top defensive teams, Payne guided the Buffs to allowing opponents just 37 percent shooting (40th in the one of the best single-season NCAA) and 58.4 points per game (54th), while forcing 21.7 turnarounds in school history turnovers (sixth) and averaging 12.6 steals (third); Santa as they more than doubled Clara was also 29th in rebound margin (+7.2). their win total from the previous year. CU finished the In two seasons at Santa Clara, she compiled a 34-27 overall year 17-16 overall and tied for record. Her first team upset LSU 69-67, the school’s first win ninth in the Pac-12, a year after a last-place finish in the over an SEC school in 18 years, and advanced to the second conference. The Buffs also reached the third round of the round of the WCC tournament. WNIT, their first postseason appearance since 2014. Her first head coaching position was at Southern Utah Throughout the 2016-17, Colorado was impressive. CU University (Cedar City), where in five seasons, the started the season 10-0 for just the fifth time in school history, Thunderbirds posted a 67-86 record, including a 23-10 mark including a win over No. 15/19 Kentucky. She became just in 2013-14 that set a school record for wins. That team was the second CU coach to begin her career with 10 straight also 15-5 in league play, earning a share of the Big Sky wins and the first since 1980. The 10-game winning streak Conference’s regular season title, and earned SUU’s first- was the longest since 2012. In Pac-12 play, the Buffs’ ever invitation to postseason play, the women’s NIT. signature win came on Feb. 12 when they upset No. 24 California on the road, their first win over a ranked team on the road since 2007. Three players earned postseason awards from the Pac-12, including first-team all-conference sophomore Kennedy Leonard, who was among the conference and national leaders in scoring, assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio. Haley Smith and Alexis Robinson were both named honorable mention all-Pac-12 and Smith was also honorable mention for the All-Defensive team. In 2015-16, the season prior to Payne’s arrival, CU went just 7-23. By reaching eight wins in the eighth game of the 2016- 17 season, it was the earliest in a season CU had exceeded its previous season’s win total in the modern era (since 1978- 79). The Buffs’ big turnaround was keyed by the team’s ball control, ability to turn others over, and scoring. Colorado finished the 2016-17 season 12th in the nation in steals and 22nd in turnover margin. After averaging just 61.9 points in 2015-16, good for 218th nationally, the Buffs cracked the top 100 in the nation in scoring in 2016-17, finishing 90th at 68.9 points per game. Payne joined Colorado after leading Santa Clara to its first winning record in eight years. Santa Clara was 23-9 this in 2015-16, tying for third in the West Coast Conference with a 13-5 league mark. The Broncos’ season ended with a 59-53 loss at Fresno State in the first round of the Women’s NIT, the school’s first postseason appearance in 10 seasons. SCU was down by 11 at one point but rallied to tie the game at 52- all with just under four minutes to go before falling to the Bulldogs. One of the wins included a 61-58 victory at No. 13 Stanford, 6 2017-18 Colorado Women’s Basketball Payne’s List Position Noteworthy Head Coach, Colorado (2016-current) 1 WNIT, 17-16 record Head Coach, Santa Clara (2014-2016) 1 WNIT, 34-27 record Head Coach, Southern Utah (2009-14) 1 WNIT, 1 Big Sky championship, 23-10 record in final season Assistant Coach, Santa Clara (2008-09) Assisted Jennifer Mountain Assistant Coach, Boise State (2005-08) Assisted Gordy Presnell, 1 NCAA, 1 WNIT, 2 WAC championships Assistant Coach, Gonzaga (2000-05) Assisted current Oregon head coach Kelly Graves, 2 WNIT, 1 WCC championship Playing Career: St. Mary’s, 1995-99 Honors: All-WCC: 1999 WCC All-Tournament: 1998, 1999 Still ranks 7th at SMC in career assists (291) and 9th in steals (137) Southern Utah won its first round game at Colorado State, 71- 56, before succumbing in the second round – 79-68 at Colorado; the Buffs also defeated Payne’s T-Birds during the regular season in Boulder, 75-59, the second time she coached a game in CU’s Coors Events Center; SUU also lost a game in Boulder in her first season as its coach. That SUU team set four major school records, including points scored (2,454), field goals made (830) and free throws made (629) and attempted (839); the 74.1 scoring average was the second-best by a Southern Utah team. Her top performer, Hailey Mandelko earned first-team All-Big Sky honors as a junior and senior and was also on the postseason All-Tournament team her final year there. She helped Southern Utah transition from the Summit League into the Big Sky Conference for the 2012-13 season, piloting the Thunderbirds to a 15-16 overall record and a 9-11 mark in league play. Her second SUU team in 2010-11 finished with a 16-14 record, the school’s first winning season in seven years, and more than doubling the win count in her first season when the Thunderbirds were 7-23 (SUU had just 24 wins in the three seasons before her arrival). The senior-led Thunderbirds were 10-8 in Summit League play, with forward Challis Pascucci earning first-team All- League honors. Her third SUU team was 6-23, but reflected her most youthful squad in her coaching career, with no seniors and just two juniors, but formed the nucleus for the T-Birds success two years later. Payne determined that coaching was going to be her career path 13 NCAA Tournaments, 6 Sweet Sixteens, 3 Elite Eights 7 JR Payne Year-By-Year Coaching Record Overall Conference Season School WLPct. PPG Opp WLPct. PPG Opp Finish/Conf. 2009-10 Southern Utah ................ 7 23 .233 55.5 70.2 5 13 .278 57.3 69.6 8th / Summit League 2010-11 Southern Utah ................ 16 14 .533 68.0 71.8 10 8 .556 69.5 72.7 5th / Summit League 2011-12 Southern Utah ................ 6 23 .207 58.4 70.6 2 16 .111 57.3 70.3 10th / Summit League 2012-13 Southern Utah ................ 15 16 .484 69.7 68.1 9 11 .450 69.2 69.2 7th / Big Sky 2013-14 Southern Utah ................ 23 10 .697 74.4 67.4 15 5 .750 75.0 66.1 t-1st / Big Sky 2014-15 Santa Clara..................... 11 18 .379 64.9 69.3 5 13 .278 64.3 69.8 7th / West Coast 2015-16 Santa Clara..................... 23 9 .731 65.5 58.4 13 5 .722 65.3 57.9 t-3rd / West Coast 2016-17 Colorado......................... 17 16 .515 68.9 66.3 5 13 .278 60.3 68.2 t-9th / Pac-12 Career Totals .................................. 118 129 .478 ..... ..... 64 84 .432 after graduating from St. Mary’s (Calif.) in 1999 with a degree senior, when St. Mary’s won both postseason tournaments. in French. Her first position was as an assistant coach and She played under two coaches in her time there, Terri recruiting coordinator at Gonzaga under one of her college Rubenstein for two seasons and Kelly Graves, now the head head coaches, Kelly Graves, where she would spend five coach at Oregon for her last two, with the Gaels posting a seasons (2000-01 through 2004-05). Gonzaga went from 5- 79-38 record with her as a player. 23 in her first season there to a 28-4 mark in her last, which included a 14-0 mark in the WCC. During her time there, she Her husband, Toriano Towns, is CU’s associate head coach helped recruit Gonzaga’s first All-American, guard Shannon and the two have coached together throughout the majority Mathews as well as help the Bulldogs to their first postseason of their coaching careers. They met as student-athletes at St. appearance in 10 years with back-to-back invites to the NIT. Mary’s in college. They have three children together: Aliyah (8), Jordan (5) and Jaxton (2). She then moved on to Boise State under new head coach Gordy Presnell for the three seasons (2005-06 through 2007- The Story Behind Her First Name: “JR” is nowhere close 08); Presnell had replaced a former CU letterwinner, Jen to her real name; her birth name is Ali-Marie.