Tigers coach Penny Hardaway may have to replace an assistant coach on his staff yet again.

The Carbondale, Illinois, native will return to Memphis after previously serving as the Tigers’ compliance director for men’s basketball and football from 2014 to 2021.

Penny Hardaway took a major step last year in his coaching career when he won the AAC regular-season title for the first time. But the one area that he’s always been elite in has been player development. And his fingerprints are all over this year’s NBA summer leagues.

Born to teenage parents in an industrial Illinois town where opportunity is hard to come by, Memphis guard Sincere Parker could be on the verge of a breakthrough with the Tigers.

Those blue Tiger claw marks that stretched across most of the FedExForum floor the past three seasons? Gone.

The 7-foot center led Melrose High to the 1983 state high school basketball title and was a key player on the Memphis Tigers' 1984-85 Final Four team. 

Darrell Brown Jr., Memphis’ new director of player development, is a former Germantown star and the godson of Tigers coach Penny Hardaway.

Hardaway spoke to reporters Tuesday about the Tigers’ home-and-home scheduling agreement with Baylor, the addition of South Sudanese big man Simon Majok and more.

The Tigers are again well-represented this summer in the California Classic Summer League, the Salt Lake City Summer League, as well as the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Memphis has now filled 12 of the 13 spots on its non-American Athletic Conference slate for the upcoming season.

The Tigers and Commodores have met 15 times. Most recently, Memphis beat Vanderbilt 77-75 at FedExForum on Dec. 23, 2023.

The Tigers have now filled 10 of the 13 spots on their 2025-26 nonconference schedule.

Preps writer John Varlas wins a major award as five Daily Memphian writers place in Tennessee Sports Writers Association contest.

Simon Majok spent the past three seasons developing in the Serbian professional system with KK Real Beograd. 

Texas State is planning to jump to the new-look Pac-12 while the Memphis Tigers, at least for now, remain in the American Athletic Conference.

Former Memphis Tigers big men Dain Dainja and Moussa Cisse land NBA opportunities following the 2025 draft.

The NCAA has denied Memphis Tigers big Dain Dainja another season of eligibility. Is it the end of the battle?

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What sort of resources are Memphis’ men’s and women’s tennis and baseball programs provided due to the recent approval of the House v. NCAA settlement?

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Memphis still waiting to hear NCAA’s decision on Tigers big man

“It’s just amazing how long this is taking,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said Tuesday about waiting for the NCAA to give the Tigers a final decision on Dain Dainja’s eligibility waiver request. “But we’re being patient.”

Through 34 total seasons as a head coach, Joye Lee-McNelis posted an overall record of 568-464.

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“Most of Memphis’ athletic revenue will go to men’s basketball. Will it be enough for the Tigers to compete at the national level?”

As the NCAA decides if Dainja can play another season for the Tigers, legal experts weigh in on what could happen if the big man’s pursuit to stay on the court plays out in court. 

“Memphis was more than a job, it was a family. The players, the fans, and the city made it a place where we built something special together. I’m grateful for every moment and memory.”

It’s impossible to imagine Memphis without Fred Smith. So what happens next? 

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‘Most important Memphian of all time’ has died

This week’s puzzle features a photo of Memphis Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway talking about his new-look team at a Tigers on Tour fan event in Lakeland.