University of North Texas Athletics
Men's Basketball
Steve Payne
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Last updated April 2, 2026
Steve Payne was hired on May 5, 2025 to head coach Daniyal Robinson's first UNT men's basketball coaching staff.
Payne has over 30 years of college coaching experience, including eight as Tennessee Tech's head coach.
In his first season in Denton (2025-26), Payne helped guide the Mean Green to a 19-14 overall record and a 9-9 league record. North Texas finished tied for fifth in the American Conference standings and reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 American Conference Tournament. UNT's 19 wins were the second-most in program history by a first-year Mean Green staff and its nine conference wins were also the second-most by a first-year UNT staff. North Texas' .576 win percentage was the second-best ever by a first-year UNT staff in its DI era and the best in 50 years.
UNT featured the league's top scoring defense, holding opponents to 67.4 points per game and racked up 308 steals on the year, which were the second-most in a single season in program history and third-most in American Conference history.  UNT featured the second-best turnover margin in American Conference history (+3.7) and the third lowest turnover per game average in program history (11.3).
North Texas had notable victories throughout the season. On Jan. 4 they defeated Tulsa at home 72-67, snapping the Golden Hurricanes' then 10-game winning streak. At the time of the game, Tulsa was ranked No. 38 in the NET. It was UNT's highest ranked NET win since upsetting Purdue in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.Â
The Mean Green also had notable wins over Memphis on Feb. 12, 76-69, Florida Atlantic on Feb. 22, 73-72, and at UAB on March 1, 62-58. North Texas also defeated FAU in its conference tournament opener, 74-70, continuing its streak of consecutive seasons with a conference tournament win to seven in a row.Â
Payne was critical in the development of sophomore guard Je'Shawn Stevenson who earned second-team American Conference All-Conference honors as he averaged 17.3 points per game and 2.0 steals per game.  His 572 total points scored was the fourth-most in the league that year. Stevenson led UNT in 3-pointers with 74 and his 66 steals were the second most in program history and led the league that season.
Point guard David Terrell Jr. also had a breakout season. The then junior who came to UNT from UTEP set single season career highs in every statistical category and became just the second player in North Texas history to score 400 points (446) and have 150 assists (160) in a single season. Terrell's 160 total assists were the fourth most in a single season in program history.
Prior to UNT he spent three seasons (2022-25) at Cleveland State as an assistant coach under Daniyal Robinson. Payne helped guide the Vikings to three consecutive 20-win seasons including 23 last year, which was the program’s most single season wins in 14 years. CSU finished second in the Horizon League standings and were the runner ups in the 2025 College Basketball Invitational.Â
From 2011-19 Payne was Tennessee Tech’s head coach and won 118 games with the Golden Eagles and led them to three national postseason tournament berths. Tennessee Tech consistently had one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s most efficient defenses with Payne at the helm.Â
Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles had three 19-win seasons and seven OVC All-Conference honorees. In 2012 guard Kevin Murphy became the first Tennessee Tech player drafted to the NBA in almost two decades and became the first Tech alum to play in an NBA game in 45 years. Murphy was selected by the Utah Jazz and has had a very successful international career where he has played in the top division in numerous countries including France and China.
The Kentucky native also served as Tennessee Tech’s associate head coach for nine seasons under Mike Sutton and helped lead them to the 2005 OVC regular season championship. In 2009 he was named one of the nation’s top 25 mid major assistant coaches by CollegeInsider.com.
Between his time at Tennessee Tech and Cleveland State Payne was on staff at UMKC under Billy Donlon from 2019-22 where he helped lead the Roos to 43 wins. In his last season in Kansas City, UMKC won 19 games, its second most single season wins in program history and its most in over 30 years. They won a program record 12 conference games that year and beat Missouri on the road 80-66 during their non-conference slate. The Roos were led by Evan Gilard II who has gone on to play in the G League.
Payne has experience coaching in Texas. From 2000-02 he was the head coach at Frank Phillips Junior College in Borger.Â
He has also coached at Georgetown College (Ky.), Northwestern State, Union University and Knox Central High School (Ky.). During his first season at Northwestern State in 1995, the Demons had at the time their best Southland Conference standings finish as they won eight league games. NSU and North Texas were conference mates back then and met four times in his two seasons with the program.Â
He is a graduate of Russell County High School in Russell Springs, Ky., and earned his bachelor’s degree from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky in 1990.
Payne and his wife, Kelli, have three children.
Steve Payne Coaching Career
North Texas (2025-present)
Cleveland St. (2022-25)
UMKC (2019-22)
Tennessee Tech (2011-19)*
Tennessee Tech (2002-11)
Frank Phillips College (2000-02)*
Georgetown College (KY.) (1996-00)
Northwestern State (1994-96)
Union University (1991-94)
Knox Central HS (1990-91)*
*Head Coach
Â
Steve Payne was hired on May 5, 2025 to head coach Daniyal Robinson's first UNT men's basketball coaching staff.
Payne has over 30 years of college coaching experience, including eight as Tennessee Tech's head coach.
In his first season in Denton (2025-26), Payne helped guide the Mean Green to a 19-14 overall record and a 9-9 league record. North Texas finished tied for fifth in the American Conference standings and reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 American Conference Tournament. UNT's 19 wins were the second-most in program history by a first-year Mean Green staff and its nine conference wins were also the second-most by a first-year UNT staff. North Texas' .576 win percentage was the second-best ever by a first-year UNT staff in its DI era and the best in 50 years.
UNT featured the league's top scoring defense, holding opponents to 67.4 points per game and racked up 308 steals on the year, which were the second-most in a single season in program history and third-most in American Conference history.  UNT featured the second-best turnover margin in American Conference history (+3.7) and the third lowest turnover per game average in program history (11.3).
North Texas had notable victories throughout the season. On Jan. 4 they defeated Tulsa at home 72-67, snapping the Golden Hurricanes' then 10-game winning streak. At the time of the game, Tulsa was ranked No. 38 in the NET. It was UNT's highest ranked NET win since upsetting Purdue in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.Â
The Mean Green also had notable wins over Memphis on Feb. 12, 76-69, Florida Atlantic on Feb. 22, 73-72, and at UAB on March 1, 62-58. North Texas also defeated FAU in its conference tournament opener, 74-70, continuing its streak of consecutive seasons with a conference tournament win to seven in a row.Â
Payne was critical in the development of sophomore guard Je'Shawn Stevenson who earned second-team American Conference All-Conference honors as he averaged 17.3 points per game and 2.0 steals per game.  His 572 total points scored was the fourth-most in the league that year. Stevenson led UNT in 3-pointers with 74 and his 66 steals were the second most in program history and led the league that season.
Point guard David Terrell Jr. also had a breakout season. The then junior who came to UNT from UTEP set single season career highs in every statistical category and became just the second player in North Texas history to score 400 points (446) and have 150 assists (160) in a single season. Terrell's 160 total assists were the fourth most in a single season in program history.
Prior to UNT he spent three seasons (2022-25) at Cleveland State as an assistant coach under Daniyal Robinson. Payne helped guide the Vikings to three consecutive 20-win seasons including 23 last year, which was the program’s most single season wins in 14 years. CSU finished second in the Horizon League standings and were the runner ups in the 2025 College Basketball Invitational.Â
From 2011-19 Payne was Tennessee Tech’s head coach and won 118 games with the Golden Eagles and led them to three national postseason tournament berths. Tennessee Tech consistently had one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s most efficient defenses with Payne at the helm.Â
Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles had three 19-win seasons and seven OVC All-Conference honorees. In 2012 guard Kevin Murphy became the first Tennessee Tech player drafted to the NBA in almost two decades and became the first Tech alum to play in an NBA game in 45 years. Murphy was selected by the Utah Jazz and has had a very successful international career where he has played in the top division in numerous countries including France and China.
The Kentucky native also served as Tennessee Tech’s associate head coach for nine seasons under Mike Sutton and helped lead them to the 2005 OVC regular season championship. In 2009 he was named one of the nation’s top 25 mid major assistant coaches by CollegeInsider.com.
Between his time at Tennessee Tech and Cleveland State Payne was on staff at UMKC under Billy Donlon from 2019-22 where he helped lead the Roos to 43 wins. In his last season in Kansas City, UMKC won 19 games, its second most single season wins in program history and its most in over 30 years. They won a program record 12 conference games that year and beat Missouri on the road 80-66 during their non-conference slate. The Roos were led by Evan Gilard II who has gone on to play in the G League.
Payne has experience coaching in Texas. From 2000-02 he was the head coach at Frank Phillips Junior College in Borger.Â
He has also coached at Georgetown College (Ky.), Northwestern State, Union University and Knox Central High School (Ky.). During his first season at Northwestern State in 1995, the Demons had at the time their best Southland Conference standings finish as they won eight league games. NSU and North Texas were conference mates back then and met four times in his two seasons with the program.Â
He is a graduate of Russell County High School in Russell Springs, Ky., and earned his bachelor’s degree from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky in 1990.
Payne and his wife, Kelli, have three children.
Steve Payne Coaching Career
North Texas (2025-present)
Cleveland St. (2022-25)
UMKC (2019-22)
Tennessee Tech (2011-19)*
Tennessee Tech (2002-11)
Frank Phillips College (2000-02)*
Georgetown College (KY.) (1996-00)
Northwestern State (1994-96)
Union University (1991-94)
Knox Central HS (1990-91)*
*Head Coach
Â
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Thursday, March 05
MBB Postgame Press Conference | UNT vs. Rice
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Broadcast Highlights vs FAU | Mean Green MBB
Monday, February 23
MBB Postgame Press Conference | UNT vs. FAU
Monday, February 23
