Rick Stansbury wants to help Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway get the program back on track after a rocky ending to the 2023-24 season.

"I'm committed to being here and helping Coach in any little way I can to get this thing back to winning championships," Stansbury told The Commercial Appeal. "I've never wavered on my belief and support of coach Hardaway, and the job he's done and can do. I have the utmost confidence that Coach can get this program back to prominence, and we need the support of the community to help do that."

The Tigers rocketed out to a 15-2 start this season — climbing as high as No. 10 in the AP Top 25 poll — only to lose eight of its last 15 games. They missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021 and declined an NIT bid.

Stansbury emphasized the impact that losing Caleb Mills to a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 4 had on the team. Not only was Mills the Tigers' best perimeter defender and a proven veteran leader, Stansbury said, his absence also took a toll on the team's depth and "most importantly," its ability to play small ball.

"No one wants to make excuses. Coach never made excuses," Stansbury said. "I think it's very obvious all of us are disappointed the way the season ended.

"Coach was the same coach at the end of the season as he was when we were 15-2 and 10th in the country. But sometimes personnel dictates what you're able to do."

A former head coach who racked up 442 wins over 21 seasons at Mississippi State and Western Kentucky, Stansbury joined Hardaway in April 2023 as his lead assistant. He stepped in as acting head coach the first three games of the season while Hardaway served a suspension for a 2021 recruiting violation.

Stansbury's sentiments echo those expressed by Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch on March 18. Veatch told reporters that he met with Hardaway "for quite a while" that day to discuss a range of topics.

“We need to find a way to get back on track and get better (and) work with him to do that,” Veatch said.

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Hardaway has another large-scale rebuild on his hands this offseason. The Tigers have waved goodbye to seven players due to expired eligibility. In addition, forward Jonathan Pierre and guard Jahylon Young entered the transfer portal last week.

First-team All-AAC guard David Jones, who has one season of eligibility remaining, could return if he decides not to pursue professional opportunities. Forward Nicholas Jourdain announced last month he intends to return to Memphis for the 2024-25 season.

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: Memphis basketball: Rick Stansbury plans to return as assistant coach