Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway tears into media after third straight loss

By Adam Stites | Last updated 1/20/22

The Memphis Tigers fell to 9-8 on the year with a 70-62 loss to the SMU Mustangs on Thursday night, and coach Penny Hardaway had very little patience with the media's questions after the game.

Hardaway, 50, ripped into reporters at a postgame press conference when he was asked if he was still confident he could get the job done at Memphis after a third consecutive loss.

Penny Hardaway's answer to if he can get the job done at Memphis.

"Stop asking me stupid f***ing questions about if I feel like I can do something. If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do." pic.twitter.com/WA79u6Y7bc
— Cassie Carlson (@CassieCarlsonTV) January 21, 2022

"We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster," Hardaway said. "Stop asking me stupid f---ing questions about if I feel like I can do something. If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do.

"I'm coaching really hard. My boys are playing really hard. I'm not embarrassed about nothing. We have four freshmen starting, y'all need to act like it. Act like we have 17- and 18-year-olds trying to learn how to play against 22-, 23- and 24-year-old guys. Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like don't do that. I work way too f---ing hard. Y'all write all these bulls--- article about me and all I do is work."

Memphis was without leading scorer DeAndre Williams on Thursday night due to a back injury as well as assists leader Landers Nolley II, who has a knee injury.

Hardaway is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Tigers and has a 72-40 record. Memphis won the 2021 NIT Tournament, but it has yet to make the NCAA Tournament during Hardaway's tenure.

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