Report: Penny Hardaway agrees to coach Memphis

Penny Hardaway will be the next coach of the Memphis Tigers, according to a report.

ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported Monday that Hardaway has agreed to a deal to coach the Tigers, replacing Tubby Smith, fired after two seasons at the school.

The 46-year-old Hardaway does have coaching experience, having coached AAU while also embarking on a successful high school coaching career at Memphis East High, where he has won three consecutive state titles.

Though this has been a somewhat messy transition, Memphis will hope hiring an alum such as Hardaway can breathe some life into a program that simply hasn’t been the same since John Calipari left for Kentucky. They haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2014, and that will have to change.