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Cedar City • Southern Utah women's basketball coach JR Payne accepted a job at Santa Clara on Sunday.
Payne guided SUU to a school-record 23 wins last season and a berth in the WNIT. She has been the Thunderbirds' head coach for the past five years.
"I feel so blessed for the time that I spent at Southern Utah and for the wonderful people there," Payne said in a statement. "As I move on to Santa Clara, I am so excited about the opportunity to be the Bronco's next coach."
Last season, Payne led the Thunderbirds to the school's first-ever Big Sky championship. SUU tied the regular-season title and defeated Colorado State, 71-56, in the first round of the WNIT.