3 candidates for Hardaway’s assistant coaching vacancy
The Memphis basketball team steamrolled to an NIT championship less than three weeks ago.
Since then, there’s been no slowdown for the Tigers’ coaching staff, which has devoted the majority of its attention to next season’s roster. After losing four players to transfer, coach Penny Hardaway has added guard Davion Warren and wing Earl Timberlake from the transfer portal. The staff also continued recruiting for two available scholarships and nailed down a commitment from a Class of 2022 recruit, guard Zocko Littleton.
All while operating at less-than-full strength following the departure of assistant Tony Madlock, who was named coach at South Carolina State.
Eventually, Hardaway will have to turn his attention toward replacing Madlock and welcome a new face to his staff for the third consecutive offseason. Following his first season, Hardaway hired Cody Toppert to replace Sam Mitchell. After Year 2, Jermaine Johnson was hired to take Mike Miller’s spot.
Who will Hardaway tab this time? Here are three candidates to keep an eye on:
Chris Cheeks has more than two decades of assistant coaching experience at the Division I level.
Most recently, he spent two seasons (2018-20) under Jim Christian at Boston College. Cheeks has also coached at Western Kentucky, Delaware, Charlotte, Georgia State and West Virginia.
He began his coaching career at VCU, his alma mater, in 1995.
Cheeks has developed a reputation as a strong recruiter, helping assemble top 20 recruiting classes at WKU (201718), Charlotte (2007-08) and West Virginia (2000).
A former Whitehaven High coach, Faragi Phillips has spent the past two seasons as an assistant on Jerry Stackhouse’s staff at Vanderbilt.
Prior to joining the Commodores, Phillips compiled a 199-59 record in four seasons at Whitehaven and four seasons at Mitchell.
Perhaps Phillips’ closest tie to the Tigers is the work he did as a coach on the AAU circuit. In 2016-17, he led the Hardaway-sponsored grassroots program, Team Penny (now known as Bluff City
Legends), where he coached current Tigers guard Alex Lomax.
Todd Day
Todd Day, a Memphis native, recently completed his fifth season as coach at Philander Smith College, an NAIA program in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Still the leading scorer in Arkansas
Razorbacks history, Day spent parts of nine seasons in the NBA after being taken with the eighth overall pick in the 1992 draft.
Day's high school head coaching career includes stints at Hamilton (his alma mater) and Memphis Academy of
Health and Sciences.
He also has experience at the AAU level, where he served as an assistant on Team Penny's staff.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.