MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Four coaching staff members with the University of Memphis men's basketball team will not return this season, Penny Hardaway announced Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, along with special advisor Demetrius Dyson were all let go and will not return for the 2024-25 NCAA season.
“I want to thank Rick, Faragi, Jamie and Demetrius for their service to the University of Memphis and our basketball program,” Hardaway said in the university's announcement. “These are good coaches that I’ve worked with closely over the past few seasons, but I made the difficult decision to go in a new direction with our staff. The timing is not ideal, but I want to give this team the best opportunity to reach our goals of winning the American Conference and advancing in the NCAA Tournament. With the season rapidly approaching, we are going to move quickly to complete the staff.”
Stansbury had only been with the program one season, but was considered Hardaway's top assistant and a great recruiter. When Hardaway was held out of the first three games of the 2023-2024 season for recruiting violations, it was Stansbury that was acting head coach and went 3-0.
Faragi was a two-year member of Hardaway's staff. He joined prior to the 2022-2023 season where the Tigers won an AAC Championship and came to Memphis after two years as an assistant to Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt.
Hardaway and Phillips relationship goes back to their days coaching AAU and high school basketball, when Hardaway was at Memphis East and Phillips at Whitehaven High. Phillips son, Ragi, was a walk-on to the Tigers basketball team.
The four additional firings makes nine total staff members who were on the 2023-2024 team that will not return for the coming season. That team went 22-10 and finished fifth in the AAC before a early exit in the AAC Tournament.
The Tigers staff now consists of Mike Davis (assistant coach), Andre Turner (Director of Player Development and Alumni and Community Relations), Dwight Boyd (Chief of Staff), Jordan VerHulst (Director of Basketball Operations), Jermaine Johnson (Director of Coach Analytics), Marcus Nunnally (Director of Scouting) and Todd Forcier (Strength and Conditioning).
New athletic director Ed Scott appointed Tim Duncan as Senior Deputy Athletics Director who will also oversee Men's Basketball.
The Tigers begins their season on November 4 against Missouri.
