It is the end of an era for Daviess County girls’ basketball, as Head Coach Natalie Payne has recently been named the new head coach of Breckinridge County Middle School’s girls’ basketball team. She has also accepted a position as a Digital Learning Coordinator and will be stationed at Breckinridge County High School.
“It is a very exciting time for our entire family to be able to spend more time together, and that is the thought behind this,” Payne said. “With my husband Bradley taking a job in Breckinridge County as the boys’ head coach, and obviously that is where he is from, where he grew up, and where his roots are, so it is a really neat opportunity for him. And this opportunity for me just happened to come up.”
After seven years with Daviess County, having coached there from 2013-2016 and 2024-2026, Payne leaves with an overall record of 141-71. This past season, the team finished the season 27-6, their best record in almost 20 years. They also won their first 9th District Championship since 2012 and are two years removed from winning the program’s first-ever 3rd Region Championship.
“It took a special group of coaches and a special group of players to win the Region, and I will always hold that near and dear to my heart,” Payne said. “We did a lot of great things at DC.”
As the Digital Learning Coordinator, Payne will be responsible for overseeing kids who are undertaking online learning.
“My job doesn’t just consist of that either, as I will also oversee a program called Tiger Works,” Payne said. “It is where students hold jobs while they are in high school and will be working part of the day. I will be overseeing that Tiger Works Program. I will also play a role in students being transition ready, whether it is meeting benchmarks to go to college or figuring out their career plans and pathways. I will wear many hats with this position.”
As Breckinridge County Middle School’s girls’ basketball coach, she will also have the opportunity to coach her oldest daughter, Kylie, a rising sixth-grader. Her youngest daughter Eva, is in fourth grade and will join them in two years.
“I’m thrilled. It has always been a dream of mine to be able to coach my daughters in some capacity, be it as an assistant coach or a head coach,” Payne said. “Whatever role that I serve, and being able to coach them is just a blessing to me. …Now I get to pour into them a little bit more because I am getting to totally focus on them.”
