CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Cyclones have named Jason Payne their new head coach, making him the first Black head coach in franchise history and one of the few ever in professional hockey.

​Payne, who had a 14-year pro career before turning to coaching, becomes the sixth head coach in franchise history. He replaces Matt Thomas who announced Monday that he was leaving to take the top assistant job with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.

Thomas added Payne to his coaching staff prior to the 2018-19 season. During their time together, the Cyclones were 89-30-12-4 and twice qualified for the postseason.

Jason Payne, the new head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones (Provided: Cincinnati Cyclones)

“I am humbled, grateful, and excited for this amazing opportunity," said Payne, who will also serve as the team’s director of hockey operations. "I would like to thank Matt Thomas for all that he has done to support the Cyclones and for giving me my first opportunity at the professional level as a member of his staff."

Payne is a member of the NHL Coaches Association BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Coaches Program. He is the only current Black head coach in professional hockey, according to the Cyclones.

While there have been a number of Black assistant coaches, only a handful have ascended to the rank of head coach at any level of professional hockey.

The Cyclones said Payne is just the third person of color to lead a team in the ECHL’s 33-year existence.

Dirk Graham became the NHL's first and only Black head coach when he took over the reins of the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1998-99 season. He was replaced midway through that campaign and never coached again.

Other Black head coaches include Shawn Wheeler (Charlotte Checkers, ECHL, 1998-2000), Graham Townsend (Macon Whoope, Greensboro Generals, CHL/ECHL, 1999-2002) and Leo Thomas (Macon Mayhem, SPHL, 2018-2019).

Craig Berube, head coach of the NHL's St. Louis Blues, is of First Nations descent and is part of the BIPOC community.

"Payne's hiring is a significant milestone in hockey’s collective focus on increasing diversity in all areas of the sport. Ultimately, we hope that by having more coaches of color behind the bench in the developmental leagues such as the ECHL, USHL and AHL, we’ll ultimately see more diversity behind the bench within the NHL as well," said Lindsay Artkin, president of the NHLCA.

"As a coach, you’re always looking for an advantage or an edge to help your team win, but for any team or organization to be successful, you need diversity of opinions and perspectives," Artkin added. "This is just one reason why diversity in coaching is so important."

Payne, 45, will also be in charge of working with the Cincinnati Cyclones Foundation to help grow the sport at the youth level in communities across the region, the club said.

“We are going to remain committed to continuing our development both on and off the ice for our players and in the community," he said. "As an organization, we are equally committed to continuing the growth of minor league hockey, as well as the overall growth of the sport in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area.”

Payne was first introduced to local fans during the 1999-00 season when he played for the former Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL. The Toronto, Ontario native also played part of that season in the ECHL for the nearby Dayton Bombers.

After his playing career, Payne accepted an assistant coaching job for the 2010-11 season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). Over the next several seasons he went on to hold various roles in multiple leagues — scout, skills coach and skating coach.

Just before joining the Cyclones, Payne was the general manager for the OJHL’s Georgetown Raiders.

Kristin Ropp, the Cyclones' general manager, said based on Payne's experience in hockey and in Cincinnati, he is "more than ready to take over the helm of our team."

“His commitment to maintaining our winning culture while growing the game of hockey in the Greater Cincinnati area are ingrained in him due to his tenure with our organization," she said. "I am excited to see Jason’s leadership development even more so and witness his success both on and off the ice.”

The Cyclones kick off their season Friday, Oct. 23 against the Indianapolis Fuel. It will be their first regular-season since the ECHL suspended operations in March 2020 due to COVID-19. The Cyclones elected not to take part in last season.