Hours after Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway abruptly fired four staff members, the university confirmed the existence of an anonymous letter alleging serious NCAA violations within the Tigers' program.
The letter, which was obtained by ESPN, alleges Hardaway's personal involvement in potential recruiting and academic violations.
“The University of Memphis is aware of the anonymous letter and has shared it with the NCAA,” university spokeswoman Michele Ehrhart said in a statement to ESPN.
Hardaway announced Wednesday morning, two months before the start of the college basketball season, that he was firing assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, as well as special adviser Demetrius Dyson. Neither Hardaway nor the school provided a reason for the firings, with Hardaway saying in a statement that he “made the difficult decision to take a new direction with our staff” and acknowledging that “the timing is not ideal.”
It's unclear whether the anonymous letter is related to the firings. Some of the alleged violations predate the tenures in Memphis of at least two of the fired assistants, while none of the fired coaches were named in the letter.
This week's drama adds to the pressure on Hardaway, who is entering a critical season for his future with the Tigers. After starting last season with a 15-2 record and ranking as high as No. 10 in the AP poll, Memphis went 7-8 the rest of the way and missed the NCAA tournament.
Hardaway has been to the NCAA tournament just twice in six seasons at the helm of his alma mater, winning a first-round game over Boise State in the 2022 tournament.
The anonymous letter is the latest off-court affair during Hardaway’s tenure. There was an 18-month NCAA investigation into alleged violations involving James Wiseman and other recruits; the independent accountability resolution process ultimately concluded that Hardaway did not violate NCAA rules because of his long-standing philanthropy in Memphis.
Last summer, Hardaway was suspended for three games by the NCAA for recruiting violations and for violating head coach accountability rules in a separate investigation.
Toward the end of last season, senior Malcolm Dandridge missed the team's final five games while the school conducted an investigation into his eligibility.
Memphis is bringing back just one scholarship player from last season's team, as seven players transferred out of the program and star David Jones left early to enter the NBA draft. Eight Division I transfer players are entering the program. Prior to Wednesday's dismissals, five staff members had already left the program this offseason.
