‘Payne, a member of the NHL Coaches Association BIPOC Coaches Program, is the third head coach of color in the ECHL’s 33-year existence and the fifth BIPOC head coach in professional hockey history, joining Dirk Graham (Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, 1998-99), 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).’