Penny Hardaway Addresses Future as Memphis Basketball Coach Amid Tough Season

The former NBA star and Memphis legend is facing the program's worst season in over 25 years.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 9:51pm

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Penny Hardaway, the head coach of the Memphis basketball team, addressed his future with the program after the team's fourth consecutive loss, dropping them to 12-15 on the season and three games below .500. Hardaway, in his eighth season, said he is focused on finishing the season strong and has not looked ahead to what the future may hold for him or the team. Despite the team's massive struggles this season, Hardaway remains optimistic that the Tigers can steady themselves and turn things around.

Why it matters

Hardaway's future as Memphis' head coach has been heavily scrutinized as the team endures its worst season in over 25 years. The Tigers are in danger of missing the American Athletic Conference tournament, which would be a major disappointment for a program that won the conference title just last season. Hardaway's emotional reactions to the team's struggles have also generated widespread attention and reaction from the Memphis community.

The details

Memphis lost its fourth consecutive game on February 22nd, falling 78-67 to UAB at FedExForum. The Tigers trailed by as many as 19 points and lost by double-digits against a team they had defeated earlier in the season. This came on the heels of back-to-back blowout losses to Utah State and South Florida, which prompted emotional reactions from Hardaway. Despite the team's struggles, Hardaway said he remains focused on finishing the season strong and has not looked ahead to what the future may hold for him or the team.

  • On February 22nd, Memphis lost to UAB 78-67.
  • On February 19th, Memphis lost to South Florida.
  • On February 5th, Memphis defeated UAB in Birmingham, Alabama.

The players

Penny Hardaway

The head coach of the Memphis basketball team, in his eighth season. Hardaway is a former NBA all-star and Memphis legend who is facing the program's worst season in over 25 years.

Memphis Tigers

The college basketball team that Hardaway coaches, which is currently 12-15 overall and 7-7 in the American Athletic Conference.

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What they’re saying

“Not really, because I have to finish the season out strong. That's what I'm paid to do, that's what I want to do. I'm going one game at a time. I haven't looked forward to anything yet, you know, what it looks like for the team or what it looks like for me. Because I'm just a fighter – I'm just gonna fight 1-0 every game.”

— Penny Hardaway, Head Coach, Memphis Tigers (commercialappeal.com)

“Nah, because I'm not used to this. It's not like it's years and years and years of this. This has been the hardest year. I'm not going to let what's happening right now tarnish anything that I've had in any other regular season. My passion is still for the city, still for the school. Losing sucks. We're going through some adversity. Everybody in this room and in this city goes through adversity. We've just got to work ourselves out of it – somehow, someway.”

— Penny Hardaway, Head Coach, Memphis Tigers (commercialappeal.com)

What’s next

Memphis will welcome Wichita State to FedExForum on February 26th, followed by road games at East Carolina and Tulane, and a home rematch against South Florida to close out the regular season.

The takeaway

Hardaway's future as Memphis' head coach remains uncertain as the team endures its worst season in over 25 years, but the former NBA star and Memphis legend remains committed to finishing the season strong and working to turn the program around despite the massive struggles.