Former NBA player-turned-college basketball coach, Penny Hardaway has just announced that he has hired two assistant coaches, one a former HBCU head coach to join his staff at the University of Memphis.
The school announced that Nolan Smith and former Detroit Mercy basketball head coach Mike Davis will be on the staff as assistant coaches for the 2024-25 season.
“I am excited to have coach Davis as part of our program,” Hardaway said in a written statement. “He is a veteran coach and brings a winning mentality to the team with an impressive resume to back it up, both on and off the court.
“Mike has won at the highest level, achieved great success, and is a proven leader of young men. He will serve our program in the office, on campus, and in the community. We are happy to have Mike and his family in Memphis.”
Davis had
spent the past six seasons as head coach at Detroit Mercy (2018-24) as he brings 35-plus years of experience coaching on the sideline. He has been a head coach for 24 years and took his teams to the postseason in 14 of those years. He has a winning record in 15 of those 24 seasons while recording at least 20 wins nine times.Meanwhile, Smith was recently an assistant coach at Louisville over the last two years (2022-24). Previous to working at Louisville, he spent six seasons working with legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke (2016-22).
“Nolan is a grit and grind guy and is one of the brightest young coaches in college basketball,” Hardaway said. “He works hard and has a passion for the game that is unmatched.
“He brings a championship mindset to our team after not only having won a national championship as a player but also
by learning from one of the all-time greats in, Mike Krzyzewski. Our players are going to love being in the gym with Nolan, and we are excited to have him and his family as part of Tiger Nation.”The Tigers will play their first exhibition game on Oct. 15 at the Hoops for St. Jude® Tip Off Classic, where they will face off against North Carolina at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.