Fansided

Memphis’ Penny Hardaway thinks college coaches are jealous of him, his staff

By Brad Berreman

MEMPHIS, TN - JANUARY 27: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers yells from the sideline against the UCF Knights on January 27, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated UCF 77-57. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - JANUARY 27: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers yells from the sideline against the UCF Knights on January 27, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated UCF 77-57. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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Penny Hardaway has brought a name-brand to Memphis basketball, and now he has suggested other college coaches are jealous of him.

Penny Hardaway has a target on his back and he’s welcoming all critics to take aim.

After a 77-57 win over AAC preseason favorite UCF on Sunday, Hardaway said he felt like his team could play with anybody in the country. Former Houston coach Tom Penders responded with a suggestion Hardaway had put “a target on his own back” if Memphis doesn’t make the NCAA Tournament.

Earlier in the season, Hardaway and Tennessee coach Rick Barnes exchanged words through the media as Hardaway said Barnes made some “low-class” comments after the Volunteers’ 102-92 win. That controversy seemed to fade quickly, but on Monday, Hardaway upped the ante with broader comments about his fellow coaches.

I’m getting used to it as a coach because there’s a little jealousy from a lot of these coaches around the country,” Hardaway said, via ESPN. “I do understand that because we are NBA players and didn’t have any experience as college coaches. So we didn’t quote, unquote, ‘Pay our dues.’ So these college coaches and their so-called boys in the media are going to always throw jabs at us.

After replacing Tubby Smith, Hardaway hired former NBA players Mike Miller and Sam Mitchell as assistant coaches, and Mitchell is also a former NBA Coach of the Year. Hardaway has also professed a desire to make tweaks to Memphis’ on-campus practice facility, in order to bring it up to NBA quality.

I definitely feel like there’s a target on my back,” Hardaway said. “There’s a lot of people that don’t want me to succeed because it’s going to look like an NBA guy came back with no experience and won so of course I relish in that.

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The Tigers are 13-7 this season, with tough road games coming Wednesday against Tulsa and Saturday against USF. They are trying to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, and on-court success will be what matters most. But Hardaway is bringing some attention to the program, even if the headlines have been a little weird to this point in the season.