Memphis men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway fired three assistants and another staff member two months before the Tigers tip off their 2024-25 schedule, and the university also confirmed officials shared an anonymous letter alleging multiple violations in his program with the NCAA.
Hardaway announced Wednesday that assistant coaches Faragi Phillips, Jamie Rosser and Rick Stansbury were gone, along with special advisor Demetrius Dyson. Hardaway called it a “difficult decision” to go in a new direction with the season opener against Missouri on Nov. 4.
“The timing is not ideal, but I want to give this team the best opportunity to reach our goals of winning the American Conference and advancing in the NCAA Tournament,” Hardaway said in a release announcing the moves. “With the season rapidly approaching, we are going to move quickly to complete the staff.”
Then it got worse Wednesday night when SI.com reported the university knew of an anonymous letter alleging Hardaway’s personal involvement in recruiting players and academic violations.
“The University of Memphis is aware of the anonymous letter, and it has been shared with the NCAA,” school spokeswoman Michele Ehrhart confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.