Nolan Smith Finds A New Gig
Unfortunately it’s at Memphis
In retrospect, while it was understandable that Nolan Smith would move to Louisville, where his father played and he lived as a child, “Uncle” Kenny Payne’s tenure was a rolling, two-year disaster and Smith has been unemployed since Payne got the boot this past spring.
On Wednesday, Memphis announced that he was joining Penny Hardaway’s Memphis staff. We’re happy that he has found a job, but it’s sort of jumping from the pan into the fire.
Memphis has regularly been in hot water with the NCAA since Hardaway came home himself - he’s a native and a legendary Memphian from his high school days - and just last month he fired all four of his assistants for no publicly revealed reason.
It may well have to do with the latest NCAA allegations which are quite serious. But it’s old news at Memphis at this point.
In short, while we’re very happy that NDotSmitty has found a new gig, if Memphis blows up and Hardaway is fired by the end of the season, as now seems very possible, he’s going to have worked for two unstable programs in a row. It’s not his fault, but the stench could cling to him for a while.