Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway has AD's support but 'we were all disappointed'
Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway met with athletic director Laird Veatch Monday.
The meeting came four days after the Tigers were eliminated by Wichita State in their first game of the AAC Tournament, which effectively ended their 2023-24 season. Memphis did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and it informed NIT officials that it would not accept an invitation to play.
Veatch huddled up with Hardaway “for quite a while” to discuss multiple topics, which he did not address specifically with reporters.
“I mean, just like everyone, we all were disappointed with how things ended. I know (Hardaway) is No. 1 on that list,” said Veatch.
The Tigers got off to a 15-2 start, scoring big wins over NCAA Tournament teams Clemson, Virginia and Texas A&M. But they fell apart after that, finishing 7-8 over their final 15 games. Even though Memphis picked up victories over NCAA Tournament teams FAU and UAB, it also lost to Rice, South Florida and Tulane.
Hardaway has been criticized by some fans for the team’s collapse, which prompted him to clap back during an interview with reporters last week. The team is also awaiting the outcome of the university's inquiry into potential academic misconduct and eligibility issues involving Memphis forward Malcolm Dandridge. Veatch said he "couldn't get into any more detail" on Dandridge's situation because the university is still in the process of looking into the matter.
“I don’t need any sympathy from anybody,” Hardaway said last week. “(But) it’s just, it’s funny to me how guys are always talking about how I need to be fired. I’m not resting on anything. I want to be in the NCAA Tournament, making it to Final Fours. Everybody has their opinion. They can do whatever they want. But I feel like my résumé is pretty damn good for coaches that have just started.”
Veatch indicated the athletic department is committed to Hardaway.
“We need to find a way to get back on track and get better (and) work with him to do that,” said Veatch.
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Veatch also confirmed that the school turned down an invitation to the NIT and supported Hardaway’s decision not to accept the bid.
“It just wasn’t the right opportunity for us right now,” he said. “We’re in a position (where) we need to be moving forward and thinking about next year and how we can get better.”
Commercial Appeal sports columnist Mark Giannotto contributed to this report.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Penny Hardaway: Memphis basketball coach has AD's support
