Colorado coach JR Payne was surprised to see her dad in the stands on Friday at Matthew Knight Arena.
She had her “second father” on the opposing sideline in Oregon coach Kelly Graves.
Colorado’s first-year coach played for Graves at St. Mary’s and got her coaching start with him at Gonzaga. Friday night marked the first time the two have coached against each other. Oregon won 71-66, but Payne said the chance to square off one of her closest mentors was memorable.
Afterwards, the two talked at halfcourt as their teams waited for postgame handshakes.
Said Payne: “I hugged him and said, ‘One of these days I’m going to beat you. Just not today.’
“I just genuinely love him and appreciate him for everything. I wouldn’t be here without him, definitely.”
Payne had breakfast with Graves’ wife Mary on Friday morning and spent time talking with Graves’ children after the game. She visited with Oregon assistant and former Gonzaga coach Jodie Berry before the game as well.
Payne said she couldn’t have imagined going against her close mentor so early in her coaching career.
“I was excited about being in the West Coast Conference and was excited to build a program that could topple his old program,” Payne said of her time at Santa Clara. “We were going to try and beat GU.”
That plan changed when Payne was hired by Colorado in March 2016. Now she’s helping the Buffs climb back to the top of the Pac-12.
Before Colorado, Payne spent countless hours helping Graves and Gonzaga become one of the nation’s most consistent NCAA Tournament performers. In doing so, she grew close with Graves’ entire family.
“I remember Max as a little boy in our practices,” Payne said. “He’d be mad at the players for missing layups. It’s wonderful to be around any and all of them.”
Max admires Payne’s compassion and considers her to be a second mom.
“I remember spending the night at her family’s house,” Max Graves said. “That was like the place I could go and hang out with them. JR is the best. She still comments on all my social media
. She’s the most supportive person ever.”
Graves and Payne have stayed close despite their busy schedules, and Graves hasn’t missed a CU game on television this year.
He said once Friday’s game began, he didn’t think about his former player and assistant on the opposing bench.
“When we’re playing each other, we want to beat each others’ brains in,” Graves said. “That’s just the way it is. I wouldn’t want it any other way. She’s going to be a real force in the conference.
“Maybe when I’m old and grey, she’ll hire me as that old guy you put at the end of the bench to keep some stats. And look pretty. Well I’ll keep stats anyway.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
