Penny Hardaway talks Memphis basketball offseason, transfer additions
Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway talked about his team’s offseason at TPC Southwind on Wednesday.
Penny Hardaway is making major changes to his Memphis basketball coaching staff just weeks before the 2024-25 season begins.
Jermaine Johnson (director of analytics), Faragi Phillips (advisor to the head coach) and Jamie Rosser (director of player development) have been let go, multiple sources confirmed Tuesday evening to The Commercial Appeal. Neither Johnson, Phillips nor Rosser immediately responded to requests for comment.
It is not immediately clear why Hardaway made these moves or whether these are the only staff changes.
Hardaway’s coaching staff is currently comprised of assistants Rick Stansbury and Mike Davis, director of basketball operations Jordan VerHulst, director of player relations Andre Turner, director of recruiting Demetrius Dyson, scouting director Marcus Nunnally, equipment manager Cedric Prowell, strength coach Todd Forcier and chief of staff Dwight Boyd.
Johnson had been with the Tigers off and on in a variety of roles (including assistant coach) since the 2020-21 season. Phillips spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for Hardaway but was set to transition into a new role for the 2024-25 season. Rosser joined Hardaway’s staff before the 2022-23 season.
All three are Memphis natives. Phillips’ son, Ragi, joined the program last month as a walk-on guard.
The moves come less than six weeks after new Memphis athletic director Ed Scott formally took office and less than two weeks after Scott hired Tim Duncan as senior deputy AD and men’s basketball sport administrator.
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Hardaway is no stranger to coaching staff turnover. But this offseason, in particular, has featured an abundance of moves. Andy Borman (assistant coach), Darby Rich (strength coach), Garrett Kelly (director of basketball operations), Jeremy Kipness (director of recruiting) and Andy Pennington (director of analytics) are among the departures this offseason.
The Tigers also went through an extreme roster makeover since the 2023-24 season concluded in March. Hardaway returns just one scholarship player (forward Nicholas Jourdain). He has welcomed 10 new scholarship players, led by guards Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty, as well as big men Dain Dainja and Tyreek Smith.
The Tigers open the regular season against Missouri (Nov. 4) at FedExForum.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
