Memphis Coach Hardaway Adds NBA Veteran Roy Rogers To Staff

Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway has strengthened his coaching staff by adding longtime NBA assistant Roy Rogers as an assistant coach, marking Rogers' first foray into college coaching. Rogers, a 1996 first-round NBA draft pick, spent the last four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and has been an assistant coach for several NBA teams including the Clippers, Chicago, Houston, Washington, Brooklyn, Detroit, and Boston. In addition, Hardaway hired Josh Townsend as the director of scouting; Townsend previously worked as head video coordinator for the Los Angeles Lakers' G League affiliate and was part of the Lakers' 2024 Summer League staff. The coaching staff also includes Mike Davis, Jermaine Johnson, Darrell Brown Jr. as director of player development, and Kristan Kelly as director of basketball operations. These staffing changes come less than two weeks before Memphis' first exhibition game and follow the departure of Nolan Smith, who left to coach Tennessee State. Memphis is set to face Arkansas and Auburn in exhibition matches before opening the regular season against San Francisco at home.