Report: Memphis Considering Firing Tubby Smith to Hire Penny Hardaway to Become Head Coach

[CBS Sports] - Memphis legend Penny Hardaway is “actively preparing to be a college coach” and has already started identifying possible future staff members, multiple sources have told CBS Sports. Meantime, Memphis president Dr. David Rudd told the Commercial Appeal on Tuesday that his administration is “going to evaluate the program at the end of the year,” which effectively confirms what CBS Sports has learned: Memphis is seriously considering firing Tubby Smith and replacing him with Hardaway.

Well, this is in no way a surprise, but it is still a major story. Penny Hardaway has been linked to the Memphis job since Josh Pastner left for Georgia Tech. The former Memphis (then Memphis State) player has built a big time AAU program and high school program right there in Memphis. He’s been the pride and joy of the city for years and more importantly has that connection to Memphis kids.

That’s what makes the Memphis job so intriguing. There’s plenty of talent in the city. That talent wants to stay home, but it requires a certain type of coach to build relationships with the city, programs, boosters and know how to recruit at Memphis. Tubby Smith hasn’t been able to do that in his short time there and with the program struggling, the voice for him to get removed and hire Hardaway has been louder.

To me you only fire Tubby right now if you know you can get one of two guys. One is Penny, the other is Steve Forbes at East Tennessee State, who can recruit Memphis and can bring on Penny as his associate head coach. Memphis currently needs to do something with attendance though. As Gary Parrish says in his report, attendance is averaging just 6,000 people per game and Memphis is likely going to miss out on an $800,000 pay day from the Grizzlies.

Hardaway currently runs Team Penny in the Nike EYBL AAU circuit while also being the head coach at East High. One of the players he has is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2019 – James Weisman.

This hire is an important one to make for Memphis and the American Conference as well. The AAC is sort of in limbo where it’s not a mid-major conference but most don’t think of it as a major conference despite having two strong teams this year in Cincinnati and Wichita State. The AAC desperately needs Memphis and UConn to reach the peaks it believes they can.

This is something to keep an eye on as Memphis plays USF in the 5/12 game in the AAC on Thursday.