As widespread speculation surrounding the Pac-12's courtship of the University of Memphis stretched into a second week, Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway was feeling diplomatic Monday.

I’m loyal to where I’m at,” Hardaway said. “Obviously, the AAC is a better conference than people are giving it credit for.”

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway announced the hiring of assistant coaches Nolan Smith and Mike Davis on Wednesday, just two weeks after parting with four staff members on the eve of his seventh season. Smith and Davis are high-profile hires and will be latest on a carousel of assistants who've worked under Hardaway since he took the Memphis job in 2018.

Penny Hardaway announced that Nolan Smith and former Detroit Mercy basketball head coach Mike Davis will be assistant coaches for Memphis

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway has hired Nolan Smith as an assistant coach, the school announced Wednesday.

NEW TIGERS IN TOWN 🐅 Two weeks after four members of the coaching staff were let go, two new assistant coaches have joined the University of Memphis Men's Basketball program.

Mike Davis and Nolan Smith will join the Tigers as assistant coaches for the 2024-25 season. Davis spent the last six seasons as head coach at Detroit Mercy. He has more than 35 years of experience, with 24 years as a head coach – posting a winning record for 15 of those seasons.

Nolan Smith is taking his experience as a Louisville and Duke basketball assistant to Penny Hardaway's Tigers.

Less than a month away from matching up against North Carolina in the first of two high profile charity exhibition games, Penny Hardaway is starting to piece together his coaching staff. A staff left pretty bare when Hardaway parted ways with four staff members a couple of weeks ago.

The Memphis men’s basketball program announced the hiring of Mike Davis as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. Davis joins Memphis after spending the majority of his coaching career with the Detroit Mercy men’s basketball team,