Penny Hardaway to "absolutely, unequivocally" coach Tigers this season despite staff firing turmoil, as per Memphis athletic director

After leading the Memphis Tigers to a disappointing run last season (22-10) with no NCAA Tournament appearance, Penny Hardaway is preparing for another campaign. There have been major changes to his backroom team as he reportedly fired four members of his coaching staff.

Assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, along with special adviser Demetrius Dyson were removed from the team. This came after Memphis received an alleged anonymous letter listing serious NCAA violations within the program.

Memphis-based reporter Jonah Dylan tweeted on Friday that Tigers' Athletic Director, ED Scott, was confident about Penny Hardaway leading the team.

Ed Scott, asked if Penny Hardaway will be Memphis' coach at the beginning of the season: "Absolutely, unequivocally, based on every piece of information I have right now today, Penny Hardaway is going to be on that sideline marching up and down when Missouri comes in here."

After playing with the Tigers between 1991-93, Penny Hardaway returned to the FedExForum in 2018 to take up the coaching role. Since his joining, Memphis has won the AAC Tournament championship and made two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Penny Hardaway's controversy-ridden coaching stint

Penny Hardaway's time with the Tigers has had its fair share of controversies. Last summer, the coach was suspended for three games by the NCAA for reportedly violating head-coaching responsibility rules and recruiting violations.

This came after a separate 18-month long investigation by the NCAA into the recruiting violations of James Wiseman and other recruits. The Tigers were found not guilty.

Ed Scott on why he "loves working with someone like" Penny Hardaway

"Leadership is hard, and you've got to make tough decisions," Scott said (via Commercial Appeal). "And Penny made tough decisions. And for that, I'm really proud of Penny."

Penny Hardaway is not just any coach, but is someone with deep ties to the city as he was born and raised here. The AD acknowledge his impact in their decisions to continue him as the Tigers' coach.

"He's doing this not to get paid," Scott said (via Commercial Appeal). "He's doing it because he believes he can win and he cares about Memphis and he cares about the institution.

"And so if that's the common denominator, I love working with someone like that. Working with Penny in this city, anything he does or does not do is going to be national news. And I'm comfortable with that."