Penny Hardaway's Future as Memphis HC Reportedly Revealed After Firing Buzz, Missing March Madness

Memphis men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway will remain in the role for the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

Medcalf reported that Hardaway presented a plan for next season that "will include changes on the coaching staff and hiring a general manager."

The Tigers went 13-19 this year, the first time they posted a losing record during Hardaway's tenure. Their on-court struggles raised questions about the status of their coach moving forward.

Hardaway's 175 wins are the third-most in program history, and he has a .668 winning percentage.

Still, three trips to the Big Dance isn't a great return when Memphis enjoyed far more success under John Calipari and was at least a tournament mainstay for the first half of the Josh Pastner era. The Tigers also have just one tourney win with Hardaway at the helm.

One downside to originally hiring the former NBA star in 2018 was that he's basically unlike any alternative the school could've brought in.

Hardaway is a Memphis native who helped take the Tigers to the Elite Eight in the 1992 NCAA tournament. He's a legendary figure whose work after retirement only deepened his ties to the city.

Not only did Memphis fail to have a winning team this year, but its bottom line also took a hit thanks to declining interest. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish argued that that combo "would likely lead to a change at Memphis if the coach were anybody other than Hardaway given how far things have fallen relative to the program's historical standards."

Hardaway's reputation is helping to buy him more time instead.

Maybe a staff overhaul along with the addition of a dedicated general manager will make a tangible difference and turn the Tigers into more than just a one-and-done in the NCAA tournament.

Should the team's current trajectory continue, the goodwill toward Hardaway might not be enough to save his job.