Memphis basketball head coach Penny Hardaway spent decades developing a penchant for doing things a certain way — his way.

If a player or coach was not with the program, they would soon no longer be with The Program. Hardaway took the hard way through college, forged a unique brand in the NBA, and then turned to the coaching ranks. Now the Memphis Tigers will be looking for an entire new staff behind the university's most famous alumni at the worst possible time.

Replacing eight coaches, which is now the case per The Commercial Appeal's Jason Munz, in an offseason is quite the overhaul. Dismissing them sporadically throughout the summer, and into September, is unprecedented. Hardaway has won a conference championship recently (2023) and has been winning the recruiting wars so it will be hard to argue with the Hall of Famer. Still, the list of coaches moving on is hard to ignore.

  • Faragi Phillips (Adviser to the Head Coach)
  • Jamie Rosser (Director of Player Development)
  • Andy Borman (assistant coach)
  • Jermaine Johnson (Director of Analytics)
  • Darby Rich (strength coach)
  • Garrett Kelly (Director of Basketball Operations)
  • Andy Pennington (Director of Analytics)
  • Jeremy Kipness

Hardaway's record of success is also hard to ignore. The 52-year-old caught on quick. In five seasons he has led the Tigers to a 110-52 record, five consecutive 20-win seasons, the 2021 NIT championship, the 2023 AAC tournament championship, and a pair of NCAA Tournament trips (2022, 2023). Memphis basketball went 22-10 last season and has multiple March Madness appearances under his watch. Unfortunately, the Tigers went 7-8 down the stretch.

The Tigers missed out on the postseason fun, and then Hardaway was robbed for millions.

Memphis basketball moving on organizationally

Article Continues Below
More NCAA Basketball News
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo during the second half in the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Auburn Tigers at State Farm Arena.
Michigan State HC Tom Izzo fires back at critics of his NIL, transfer portal usageRichard Pereira ·
Washington Huskies head coach Danny Sprinkle motions to his team during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena in Columbus on Feb. 12, 2025.
Washington Huskies land 15.8-PPG transfer from USCRichard Pereira ·
North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (3) shoots during the second half of a first round NCAA men’s tournament game against the Mississippi Rebels at Fiserv Forum.
Dusty May reveals how key transfer will take Michigan basketball to next levelScotty White ·
Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
Duke Blue Devils bid coach goodbye after 27 seasonsRichard Pereira ·
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena.
South Carolina’s Dawn Staley sends message to Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso Rexwell Villas ·
UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) controls the ball as North Texas Mean Green forward Grant Newell (8) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s Final Four promise to Michigan basketballScotty White ·
Memphis' head coach Penny Hardaway high-fives a fan
© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Boosters at mid-majors can only afford so many luxuries and compete in the ever-changing NIL markets. Hardaway has to get this next coaching roster right so that preparations for the program's toughest non-conference slate in decades are not affected. Relationships are important too, even for someone with Penny's million-dollar smile. Johnson, Phillips, and Rosser were all Memphis natives. Ragi Phillips (son) is currently a walk-on.

These moves follow other recent organization-altering moves. Memphis just brought on athletic director Ed Scott, who almost immediately hired Tim Duncan as senior deputy AD and men's basketball sport administrator. Hardaway returns just one scholarship player (forward Nicholas Jourdain). He has welcomed 10 new scholarship players.

Fans will not see many familiar faces when the Tigers open the regular season on November 4 against Missouri in the FedExForum. Then it's a business trip to Hawaii's beaches for the Maui Invitational. First up is UConn, followed by either Colorado or Tim Izzo's Michigan State squad. A trip down the interstate to square off with Mississippi State will also be huge when it comes to the tournament selection process.

Will Hardaway be ready? Or will Memphis basketball finally fall off amid the turmoil? It would not be a surprise to see betting odds on a losing record before conference play start to drop. Then the headlines will start to ask about Hardaway's job being on the line considering all of the internal chaos. More outside noise is not what that program needs amid all of the other reshuffling.