University of Georgia Athletics
Staff Directory
Justin Payne
- Title:
- Associate Coach
Justin Payne, a veteran head coach with tremendous success at Georgia Southwestern and Nicholls State, serves as Georgia's associate head coach after joining Coach Guzzardo's staff on April 14, 2026.Â
Payne spent the past three seasons serving as the head coach at his alma mater, Nicholls State.
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 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 were the most for the program since the 2018-19 season.
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. Despite the loss, the Lady Canes had two players named to the All-Tournament team.
The 20-win campaign was the second straight for Georgia Southwestern under Payne. After an 11-15 inaugural season and a 9-6 record in a condensed 2020-21, the Lady Canes put together a breakout year with a 23-7 overall mark.
The 2021-22 squad shattered several program and school records, including, most wins – which they broke again the next season, the first team to host a conference tournament game, and the first women's team to be selected for the NCAA Tournament. Their final addition to the Georgia Southwestern record books was becoming the first team either men's or women's to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Ava Jones, Kayla Langley, and Jolicia Williams were also the first trio in team history to earn All-Peach Belt Conference honors and they repeated the feat in ’22-23.
Payne put an emphasis on protecting their home court, leading GSW to a stellar 38-14 record at the Storm Dome in his four seasons. After going .500 in his rookie campaign, Payne’s Lady Canes had three consecutive winning records at home including a dominating combined 28-5 record over the last two years.
A native of Opelousas, La., 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. The biggest achievement for the Red and Gray was their run through the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament, winning the title as a No. 4 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Nicholls set the program record for single-season victories three times, winning 15 games in 2012 with the last being the team’s first-ever tournament win in an upset of top-seed Central Arkansas, 19 in 2013, and again in the championship season. The Colonels then posted a 20-win campaign in Payne’s final season in ’19 which ended with the program’s first appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Prior to coaching, Payne was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at point guard for the Colonel men’s basketball team.  Known for his tough style of play, Payne played many games from start to finish, going all out for 40 minutes. He led the team for three seasons in assists, tallying a total of 329 assists in his career that ranked him sixth in the Colonel record books. During his tenure as a player, Payne started 89 of 111 games played.
Payne helped the men's squad to its best overall record (20-11) in 10 years, and best season under head coach J.P. Piper during the 2008-09 campaign.
Payne and his wife, Ravae', have a four-year-old son, Joshua and three-year-old Rayah.
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Payne spent the past three seasons serving as the head coach at his alma mater, Nicholls State.
Â
 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 were the most for the program since the 2018-19 season.
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. Despite the loss, the Lady Canes had two players named to the All-Tournament team.
The 20-win campaign was the second straight for Georgia Southwestern under Payne. After an 11-15 inaugural season and a 9-6 record in a condensed 2020-21, the Lady Canes put together a breakout year with a 23-7 overall mark.
The 2021-22 squad shattered several program and school records, including, most wins – which they broke again the next season, the first team to host a conference tournament game, and the first women's team to be selected for the NCAA Tournament. Their final addition to the Georgia Southwestern record books was becoming the first team either men's or women's to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Ava Jones, Kayla Langley, and Jolicia Williams were also the first trio in team history to earn All-Peach Belt Conference honors and they repeated the feat in ’22-23.
Payne put an emphasis on protecting their home court, leading GSW to a stellar 38-14 record at the Storm Dome in his four seasons. After going .500 in his rookie campaign, Payne’s Lady Canes had three consecutive winning records at home including a dominating combined 28-5 record over the last two years.
A native of Opelousas, La., 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. The biggest achievement for the Red and Gray was their run through the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament, winning the title as a No. 4 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Nicholls set the program record for single-season victories three times, winning 15 games in 2012 with the last being the team’s first-ever tournament win in an upset of top-seed Central Arkansas, 19 in 2013, and again in the championship season. The Colonels then posted a 20-win campaign in Payne’s final season in ’19 which ended with the program’s first appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Prior to coaching, Payne was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at point guard for the Colonel men’s basketball team.  Known for his tough style of play, Payne played many games from start to finish, going all out for 40 minutes. He led the team for three seasons in assists, tallying a total of 329 assists in his career that ranked him sixth in the Colonel record books. During his tenure as a player, Payne started 89 of 111 games played.
Payne helped the men's squad to its best overall record (20-11) in 10 years, and best season under head coach J.P. Piper during the 2008-09 campaign.
Payne and his wife, Ravae', have a four-year-old son, Joshua and three-year-old Rayah.
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