Mitchell is top candidate to be Memphis assistant
New Memphis men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway appears to be close to completing his initial coaching staff.
Hardaway confirmed Wednesday during an interview on ESPN 92.9 FM that former NBA coach Sam Mitchell remains the front-runner to be his third and final assistant coach this year.
He called Mitchell “the top candidate right now,” when asked about the position and noted that Mitchell would be coming in for another interview soon.
Mitchell, 54, previously served as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. He was named the NBA’s coach of the year in 2007.
“He’s just a veteran of the game. He’s coached at the highest level,” Hardaway said of Mitchell. “Of course he was a top college player when he was at the college level, one of the better players and then veterans in the NBA, and then one of the better coaches in the NBA.
“If you can bring that expertise, that basketball mind — and he’s been a head coach before in the NBA and won coach of the year — that’s why we definitely put him on the list as one of the top guys because he does bring that all to the table.”
Mitchell currently resides in Atlanta, where he serves as an analyst for NBA TV and SiriusXM NBA radio. He is also involved with grassroots basketball as
part of the Adidas Gauntlet series.
He is currently the head coach of the Elite Basketball Organization’s 17-andunder team, which features top 2020 recruit Jalen Green.
Green recently received a scholarship offer from Memphis.
In addition, Mitchell is the head coach of the U.S. Virgin Islands national team. However, he has never been a coach at the college level before.
Hardaway indicated during an interview with Sports56 WHBQ Tuesday that he hopes to have his final assistant coach in place by the time University of Memphis begins its summer school session on June 4. Hardaway also named Mitchell as a leading candidate for the job when he met with reporters last month to announce his 2018 recruiting class.
Hardaway initially hoped to hire Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown as his lead assistant coach, but university officials only offered Brown a consultant job.
Former NBA player Mike Miller and former Tigers’ teammate Tony Madlock were previously hired as assistant coaches on Hardaway’s staff.