AAC Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jul 10, 2020

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 07: Phillip Nolan #0, Shabazz Napier #13, his mother Carmen Velasquez, and head coach Kevin Ollie of the Connecticut Huskies look on after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 60-54 in the NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at AT&T Stadium on April 7, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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CINCINNATI, OH – FEBRUARY 13: Head coach Anfernee Hardaway of the Memphis Tigers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

10. Penny Hardaway – Memphis (2018-2020)

Long before he was a 4-time All-Star and twice an All-NBA First Teamer, Hardaway starred collegiately at Memphis. It was the perfect marriage when he returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2018. He brought his extensive pedigree as an NBA player, as he spent just three years coaching high school basketball in Memphis as his experience.

Fortunately, Hardaway has already established him as a dynamic recruiter, including his former high school star James Wiseman this past season. He’s won at least 21 games in each of his seasons and has this Tigers program trending in an awesome direction. There hasn’t been this level of excitement in Memphis since John Calipari left the program over a decade ago, especially as another top-rated recruiting class looms.

Hardaway is expected to do some great things with Memphis, though it wouldn’t be surprising if an NBA head coaching job opens up for him someday. His talented roster only tied for 5th in the AAC this past season, but that likely isn’t a trend that will continue, as Wiseman’s eligibility issues threw a wrench in their season. Excuses aside, expect bigger things in the future if Hardaway keeps landing 5-star recruits.