Louisville hires grandfather of No. 1 overall prospect in class of 2023

Louisville announced the hiring of new assistant coach Milt Wagner on Tuesday afternoon.

Wagner will serve as the director of player development and alumni relations of Kenny Payne’s first staff at Louisville. He’s also the grandfather of No. 1 overall prospect DJ Wagner.

“I’m so excited for this opportunity to have my brother Milt “Ice” Wagner with me every day to help me build the championship culture I’m trying to establish,” Payne said in a release

.  “He is truly one of the most beloved Cardinals of all time both by the fans and by his teammates and our former players. Milt is another great hire that comes with an NCAA championship and an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers.  I’m sure our Card fans will welcome home your own Ice Man in Milt.”

Wagner is the top-ranked player in the country for the class of 2023, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Milt played at Louisville, but his son — and DJ’s father — Dajuan played for Kentucky coach John Calipari at Memphis. As it stands, those 3 programs appear to be in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall player.

Milt was teammates with Payne on the Cardinals’ 1986 National Championship team.

“It’s an honor for me to return to my alma mater and work alongside my brother Kenny Payne,” Wagner said in a release.  “Louisville is my second home and I’ve always wanted to return here to work with this historic program that I contributed my blood, sweat and tears for as a student-athlete.  I’m thrilled to be here with a terrific staff and help this program achieve at the highest level.”

It’s worth noting that Kentucky has also brought in people from DJ Wagner’s life in advance of his recruitment. Here are some details, via The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker:

This will be a fascinating recruitment to follow over the remainder of the 2023 cycle.