Penny fires 4 Memphis staffers as season nears

Jeff Borzello, ESPN

• Personnel WriterSep 4, 2024, 10:51 AM ET Close Basketball recruiting expert.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Memphis basketball coach Cent Hardaway revealed the firing of four employee Wednesday, simply 2 months before the start of the season.Assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, along with special advisor Demetrius Dyson, will not return to Hardaway’s personnel this season. Neither Hardaway nor the school provided a reason for the shootings.”I wish to thank Rick, Faragi, Jamie and Demetrius for their service to the University of Memphis and our basketball program, “Hardaway said in a statement.”These are good coaches that I have actually dealt with carefully over the past few seasons, but I made the difficult decision to go in a new direction with our staff. The timing is not perfect, however I want to provide this team the best opportunity to reach our objectives of winning the American Conference and advancing in the NCAA Competition. With the season quickly approaching, we are going to move quickly to complete the personnel. “Editor’s Picks 1 Related With the four coaches no longer on staff, the only staying coaches listed on the program’s site are Dwight Boyd,

the group’s

chief of personnel, and Jordan VerHulst, the group’s director of scouting. Trainer Darrell Turner and physical therapist Kevin Olds are also holdovers from in 2015’s staff.The personnel turnover continues a hectic offseason for Hardaway and Memphis, which restores just one player from last season’s group. Seven players transferred out of the program

, while David Jones left early for the NBA draft and several players used up their staying eligibility.The Tigers will welcome eight Department I transfers, including skilled guards PJ Haggerty( Tulsa), Colby Rogers (Wichita State)and Tyrese Hunter (Texas ), as well as ESPN 100 freshman Jared Harris.Wednesday’s announcement increases the

pressure on Hardaway, who is getting in a vital season for his future with the Tigers. After starting 15-2 last season and being ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP poll, Memphis went 7-8 the rest of the way and missed out on the NCAA tournament.Hardaway has been to the NCAA competition just twice in six seasons at the helm of his university, winning a first-round game over Boise State in the 2022 tournament.Hardaway’s tenure has also been mired by off-court concerns. There was an 18-month NCAA investigation due to alleged offenses including James Wiseman and other recruits; the independent responsibility resolution process eventually concluded that Hardaway didn’t violate NCAA guidelines since of his long-standing

philanthropy in Memphis.Last summer, Hardaway was suspended 3 games by the NCAA for recruiting offenses and breaking head-coach obligation rules in a different investigation.Toward completion of last season, senior Malcolm Dandridge missed out on the team’s final five games as the school conducted an examination into his eligibility.