Penny Hardaway on Magic Coaching Speculation: 'My Heart Is in Memphis'

The Orlando Magic head-coaching job is open after the team and Steve Clifford parted ways, and an Orlando Magic legend is in the coaching business as the leader of the Memphis Tigers at the collegiate level.

However, it doesn't appear as if said legend is coming back to the Magic in the near future.

"I'm definitely flattered by that situation," Penny Hardaway said during an appearance on Sports 56 in Memphis (h/t Mark Giannotto of the Commercial Appeal). "My heart is in Memphis. I'm here. I love the Tigers. I love our fans. I started off doing something and I want to finish that."

Hardaway has been the head coach of Memphis for three seasons and has a 63-32 record. While he has yet to lead the Tigers to the NCAA men's tournament, they did win the NIT this past campaign with a victory over Mississippi State.

Hardaway has impressed the most with his prowess on the recruiting trail, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he turned things around with the Tigers and started consistently reaching the Big Dance and competing at the highest level.

As for the Magic, they were 21-51 during the 2020-21 season, ending their streak of two straight years in the playoffs. They also traded Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, signaling their intentions to rebuild with an eye on the future.

While hiring someone like Hardaway, who played in Orlando from the 1993-94 season through the 1998-99 one and made four straight All-Star Games in that span, might bring up feelings of nostalgia and give the Magic someone who understands a player perspective, he also doesn't have any coaching experience outside of three years in Memphis.

Whoever is the next coach will likely oversee an extensive rebuilding project.

Perhaps former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts will be that person, as Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Orlando is interested in him. He led Portland to the playoffs in each of the last eight years and advanced as far as the Western Conference Finals.