Rick Stansbury leaves Memphis basketball coaching staff

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for Penny Hardaway, the Tigers’ seventh-year head coach has now lost his ace in the hole.

Rick Stansbury, Memphis basketball’s top assistant coach, will not return for a second season with the Tigers, Hardaway announced Wednesday morning.

Hardaway also revealed that special advisor Demetrius Dyson is leaving the program.

Multiple sources told Bluff City Media Tuesday that assistant coaches Faragi Phillips, Jamie Rosser and Jermaine Johnson had been dismissed. Only Phillips and Rosser were included in Hardaway’s statement, however, so it appears Johnson is still on Memphis’ staff for the time being.

Others staffers from last year like Andy Borman, Jeremy Kipness, Darby Rich and Garrett Kelly have also left Memphis this offseason.

Hardaway thanked Stansbury, Phillips, Rosser and Dyson for their contributions in Wednesday’s statement.

“I want to thank Rick, Faragi, Jamie and Demetrius for their service to the University of Memphis and our basketball program,” Hardaway said. “These are good coaches that I’ve worked with closely over the past few seasons, but I made the difficult decision to go in a new direction with our staff. The timing is not ideal, but I want to give this team the best opportunity to reach our goals of winning the American Conference and advancing in the NCAA Tournament. With the season rapidly approaching, we are going to move quickly to complete the staff.”

The 64-year-old Stansbury joined Hardaway’s staff in April 2023, and made an immediate impact on the recruiting trail. The Tigers landed the likes of David Jones, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Jahvon Quinerly, Jaykwon Walton and Jordan Brown in the transfer portal after Stansbury’s hiring last season.

He also led Memphis as interim head coach in its first three games last year due to Hardaway being suspended for a recruiting violation. The Tigers went 3-0 under Stansbury, including a 70-55 win at Missouri. Hardaway led Memphis to a subpar 19-10 record after his return, and the Tigers missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Stansbury helped Memphis land eight new scholarship players this offseason, including PJ Haggerty (Tulsa), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Colby Rogers (Wichita State), Dain Dainja (Illinois) and a returning Moussa Cisse (Ole Miss).

The departures from Stansbury, Phillips, Rosser and Dyson come approximately six weeks after Memphis’ new athletic director (AD) Ed Scott took office, and two weeks after Hardaway’s former teammate Tim Duncan joined the school as its new senior deputy AD. Duncan will also serve as the primary liaison between the athletic department and the men’s basketball program.

Hardaway has officially hired Tigers legend Andre Turner to be Memphis’ new director of player/alumni relations, and former Indiana coach Mike Davis as an assistant this offseason.

Davis will fill one of Memphis’ now three open assistant slots. Former Duke and Louisville assistant Nolan Smith is also expected to join the Tigers’ staff in the same role, according to sources.

Memphis is set to play in two exhibitions next month—one against Alabama on Oct. 28 in Huntsville and another that hasn’t been announced. It officially begins its regular against Missouri on Nov. 4 inside FedExForum.