Memphis’ Penny Hardaway says he won’t pursue Orlando Magic coaching job, expected to bring on Larry Brown as assistant, sources say

Memphis men’s basketball mentor Penny Hardaway declared Tuesday night time that he will stay with the Tigers rather of pursuing the Orlando Magic head-coaching emptiness, although sources confirmed to ESPN that he’s envisioned to employ the service of Hall of Famer Larry Brown as an assistant coach.

Hardaway reportedly interviewed past 7 days with the Magic, who declared earlier this month that Steve Clifford would not return as head mentor.

“One working day, in the potential, I would appreciate to mentor in the NBA, and would not it be terrific if it had been the Orlando Magic?” Hardaway mentioned in an Instagram video. “But today just isn’t that day.”

Hardaway put in the initially six seasons of his enjoying career with the Magic, building four All-Star Recreation appearances and garnering two All-NBA initial-workforce picks. He also helped guide the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals, exactly where they misplaced to the Houston Rockets.

A Memphis indigenous who played his university ball for the Tigers, Hardaway has been the head coach at Memphis for 3 seasons. He is 63-32 since using in excess of and led Memphis to an NIT championship very last season.

“Nowadays I am listed here with my gamers, with the supporters, with the town, operating as tricky as I can to consider and bring us a national championship, and which is what I established out to do, and that’s what I want to do,” Hardaway said in the online video. “So for all the admirers that have rocked out with us, cheered with us, that are rocking with us, through wins and losses, cheering us on, fighting for us and remaining faithful, thank you so a lot.

“And I’m carrying out the identical issue. I am heading to be here. I never want you men to be worried that I am going any where.”

Hardaway has been pushing to employ Brown to exchange Tony Madlock, who still left before this offseason to grow to be head coach at South Carolina Condition. Brown, 80, is the only mentor in heritage to win equally a men’s basketball countrywide championship and an NBA title. He hasn’t coached in school given that resigning from SMU in the summer time of 2016.

Brown has been the head coach at UCLA and Kansas, along with nine diverse NBA franchises. He has not been an assistant mentor given that a two-12 months stint at North Carolina from 1965-67.

Brown crossed paths with Hardaway for a person time in 2005-06, when Brown was Hardaway’s mentor with the New York Knicks.

Hardaway introduced in the nation’s No. 1-rated recruiting course in 2019, but it has not translated to an NCAA event appearance during his a few seasons at Memphis. The Tigers need to be on the hunt for a bid this season, having said that, and they’re also in the combine for the nation’s leading two prospective clients: Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, both of whom could probably reclassify and accommodate up in college this fall.

College Hoops Now to start with described the news of Memphis’ anticipated employing of Brown.