Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway a finalist for national coaching honor
Penny Hardaway's best season as Memphis basketball coach has led to some national recognition.
Hardaway was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award, which is presented annually to the top NCAA Division I minority coach, on Monday. He is one of 25 finalists and joins Houston's Kelvin Sampson as the only finalists from American Athletic Conference schools. Former winners of the award include Florida State's Leonard Hamilton and Providence's Ed Cooley.
Hardaway has led the Tigers to 23 wins so far this season − the most for the program since the 2013-14 season. Memphis opens the AAC Tournament Thursday (6 p.m., ESPNU, against the UCF-SMU winner) as the No. 2 seed − its highest finish in the league since Hardaway became coach in 2018.
"Anytime, you know, you're a part of history, (it's an honor)," Hardaway said during his weekly coach's show Monday. "I've tried to be more about the humanitarian work and affecting lives than the coaching work. I'm honored."
Jobe, the award's namesake, won 209 games in 12 seasons at Southern University and made four NCAA Tournament appearances with the Jaguars. In 1993, Jobe led 15 seed Southern to a win over 2 seed Georgia Tech, a feat only accomplished 10 times in March Madness history.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: Penny Hardaway finalist for national coaching honor
