Penny Hardaway is one of the most controversial head coaches in college basketball. The four-time NBA All-Star is a legend in Memphis and brings a lot buzz to the Tigers’ program but is often criticized for how he carries himself and, quite simply, a lack of major wins.
His program has won at least 20 games in all six seasons but only reached the NCAA Tournament twice and never advanced past the second round.
Hardaway is currently in the news because of how he allegedly treated one of his former players, Joe Cooper. The walk-on guard also happens to be the son of his former teammates at Memphis and (former?) friend, Rodney Newsom.
Cooper played six games for the Tigers during the 2023/24 season after three years at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He averaged 1.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and two assists in 8.4 minutes per game. Even though it wasn’t like he was a standout starter, that doesn’t matter in this instance.
Joe Cooper found it extremely difficult to play for Penny Hardaway.
According to what Cooper told The Daily Memphian, his lone year at Memphis was “the worst experience he’s ever experience” and “kinda heartbreaking.”
The only thing that kept me going is the city and the fans. So that’s the only reason I would have stayed, because sometimes you just have to make sacrifices. Just me seeing people smile — that’s what kinda kept me going. But just actually being in the program? Nah, it wasn’t like a dream come true.
— Joe Cooper, via The Daily Memphian
By the rising redshirt senior’s account, Hardaway did not treat him fairly. Especially while he worked to become academically eligible during the fall semester.
Me and Penny didn’t have a relationship. We didn’t really talk. It just seemed like it was something he had against me, from my viewpoint. I didn’t practice (during the fall semester) — I was sitting on the sidelines most of the time. And obviously, when I got out there, I showed I was good enough. And there are other factors that people don’t even know about that (impacted me) when I got out there.
— Joe Cooper, via The Daily Memphian
Hardaway has been involved with two NCAA investigations during his tenure as the head coach of his alma mater. That doesn’t even include all of the internal incidents.
The Tigers open an investigation into their basketball program back in February that stemmed from an academic issue with fifth-year senior Malcom Dandrige that many people thought would lead to Hardaway’s ouster. Around the same time, the head coach publicly criticized his team for their play. More specifically, he called them out for their attitudes after getting blown out by SMU.
No toughness. Really embarrassing. That’s all I can say — very embarrassing […]
It’s been the same guys all year, man. I don’t know what it is. We were winning, they were unhappy. We’re losing, they’re unhappy. We’re just trying to fight around a lot of stuff.
— Penny Hardaway in February
Cooper said that all of the drama within the Memphis program took a toll on his psyche.
It was just hard, man. Just the mental weight of being in that program and dealing with all that — scandals and egos and the character (issues) throughout the program. It was hard. It was always a weight, any time you walked into the gym.
— Joe Cooper, via The Daily Memphian
Hardaway actually turned to Cooper around the time that his team let him down and gave the walk-on guard an opportunity to inject some life into the program. But come season’s end, Cooper claims that there was a serious lack of communication.
He was hoping to get a scholarship. If not, he was likely going to enter the transfer portal.
Either way, Cooper was trying to do the right thing and just wanted some clarity that never came.
I know everybody was having their (exit) meetings, and (Hardaway) was telling them what he needed to tell them. I’m just like, “When is my meeting so I can know?” (Other) coaches were calling, trying to get me to come down. And I’m telling them, “I can’t. I have an obligation to Penny. He gave me an opportunity. I need to wait to see what he does.”
— Joe Cooper, via The Daily Memphian
It was a surprise to find out that he was no longer on the team.
I was just trying to do things the right way and wait on Penny and the staff to let me know (about my future). I didn’t want to just make a decision without talking to Penny, because that was my coach at the time. And he just never reached out, never said anything — never got back with me. … Like, I just found out I wasn’t going back (to Memphis) when the media found out.
— Joe Cooper, via The Daily Memphian
Cooper went on to say that he was not trying to put anybody on blast. However, he hopes that his account of his lone season at Memphis under Penny Hardaway will serve as a warning to other. He does not want anybody else to end up in the same situation without knowing that it could happen.