:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69521971/1231369313.0.jpg)
After being interviewed for the Orlando Magic head coaching Job, Penny Hardaway will remain with Memphis, he announced Tuesday.
In addition, Hardaway is hiring Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown to be an assitant on the Tigers’ staff.
Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown has agreed to become an assistant coach at Memphis under Penny Hardaway, sources tell me and @GoodmanHoops.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2021
Brown is the only coach to ever win an NBA Championship and NCAA Championship. The last time he coached in the NCAA was with SMU from 2012-2016 before leaving the probram after it landed on probation.
Hardaway has been with the Tigers for the last three seasons and recently signed a five-year extension. While he hasn’t had much success with the Tigers thus far, he has more than carried his weight in the recruiting realm.
Memphis has been ranked within the top 25 each year Hardaway has been with the team, including the No. 1 ranking in 2019.
In relation to recruiting, this really affects Memphis’ chances at the 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Jalen Duren.
Duren just took his official visit to Memphis on June 23rd, and his interest in the Tigers heated up, so this decision was huge. With Hardaway staying, this definitely hurts Kentucky’s chances at Duren.
Duren released his top 11 schools back in April, which included Kentucky and Memphis, along with a bunch of heavy hitters like Villanova, Michigan, UCLA, and even the NBA G League. He’s planning to reveal his top five options on Friday.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out now that Hardaway is committed to Memphis, especially now that he has Brown on his staff.