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Jeff Borzello
Hours later Memphis Basketball coach Penny Hardaway suddenly fired four staff members, the university confirmed the existence of an anonymous letter alleging serious NCAA violations within the Tigers program.
The letter, obtained by ESPN, alleges Hardaway’s personal involvement in possible recruiting and academic violations.
“The University of Memphis is aware of the anonymous letter and it has been shared with the NCAA,” university spokesperson Michele Ehrhart said in a statement to ESPN.
Hardaway announced Wednesday morning — two months before the start of the college basketball season — that he was firing assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, as well as special advisor Demetrius Dyson. Neither Hardaway nor the school provided a reason for the layoffs, with Hardaway saying in a statement that he “made the difficult decision to move in a new direction with our staff” and acknowledging that “the timing was not ideal.”
It is unclear whether the anonymous letter is related to the layoffs. Some of the alleged violations predate the tenure in Memphis of at least two of the fired assistants, while none of the fired coaches were named in the letter.
This week’s drama increases the pressure on Hardaway, who enters a critical season for his future with the Tigers. After starting 15-2 last season and being ranked No. 10 in the AP poll, Memphis went 7-8 the rest of the way and missed the NCAA tournament.
Hardaway has only made the NCAA Tournament twice in six seasons at the helm of his alma mater, winning a first-round game against Boise State in the 2022 tournament.
The anonymous letter is the latest off-court issue of Hardaway’s tenure. There was a 18-month NCAA investigation due to alleged violations involving James Wiseman and other recruits; the independent liability resolution process ultimately concluded that Hardaway did not violate NCAA rules because of his longtime philanthropy at Memphis.
Last summer, Hardaway was suspended three games by the NCAA for recruiting violations and head coach liability violations in a separate investigation.
Towards the end of last season, senior Malcolm Danridge missed the team’s last five games while the school conducted an investigation into his eligibility.
Memphis returns just one scholarship player from last season’s team, while seven players transferred out of the program and are playing David Jones left early for the NBA draft. Eight Division I transfers are entering the program. Prior to Wednesday’s layoffs, five staff members had already left the program during the offseason.
