Memphis officials have strongly begun to consider moving on from coach Tubby Smith. Many boosters, fans, and even administration are pushing for Penny Hardaway to become the next coach of the Memphis Tigers. Hardaway a former Memphis legend and NBA great is currently coaching in the city at East High School. His current team is the favorite to win state in a weeks time. Along with high school coaching, Hardaway also has his Nike EYBL AAU team, Team Penny which houses some of the best talent in the state.
Tubby Smith has had a hard time in his two years as coach bringing in local talent. With Penny Hardaway having a strong connection to three top 40 players in the class of 2019 many feel he is the right man to replace Smith. The additions of 2019 number one recruit James Wiseman, number 26 player D.J. Jeffries and number 40 Chandler Lawson could be a huge haul for the Tigers. A recruiting class consisting of those three could turn the Tigers fortunes around. The school hasn’t been competitive NCAA tournament-wise in a few years dating back to the Josh Pastner-era. As this saga continues it will be interesting to see what the school does as Smith also has a $9.75 million buyout.
