Hardaway calls out his critics

MEMPHIS – This rollercoaster of a season has put Tigers’ coach Penny Hardaway in the crosshairs of many around college basketball, including some around Memphis. There are those that are even calling for Hardaway to be fired.

That’s not going to happen but those comments have not fallen on deaf ears.

As the Tigers face a do or die AAC tournament, Hardaway knows he has his critics and Tuesday night after his radio show, Hardaway fired back at those who think he should be shown the door.

“It’s funny to me how guys are always talking about how I need to be fired. I get it but I took this job because it was as low as it had been. I don’t need any sympathy from anybody,” Hardaway said. “I gave up my retirement to come here and help the University of Memphis and the city. I feel like I’ve done a great job. I want to be in the NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Final Fours. It just has to match. When you’re putting teams together, 12, 13 guys every year, you never know when that’s going to gel. When we won early, it spoiled all of us.

While Hardaway only has one NCAA Tournament win in his first six years on the Tigers bench and with a team that’s on the wrong side of the bubble this year, he still believes he’s got this program headed in the right direction, despite his detractors.

“The standard of the program has gone way up since I’ve been the coach. That’s how I feel. I feel my resume is pretty damn good for coaches that are just starting,” added Hardaway. “How long do you get before they say, ok, it’s time for you to go and then start it all over. It’s not easy to recruit in Memphis. It’s not easy to get players here and I’ve done a great job of getting players to come to Memphis and represent us in a great fashion.”

Hardaway can quiet those critics if He and the Tigers can go do what no one has ever done in the AAC… win four games in four days.

It all starts Thursday afternoon in Fort Worth when Memphis takes on the winner between Wichita State and Rice.

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