Why did Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway get suspended for 3 games?

The NCAA has suspended University of Memphis coach, Penny Hardaway, three games for recruiting violations while also breaking the head-coach responsibility rules after an incident that took place in 2021. He will sit out the opening few games of Memphis’ season after the verdict was upheld on Wednesday.

In-house visits get Memphis in trouble

This was a case that had been open for quite a while after the Tigers’ coach appealed the decision in the middle of last season. The initial suspension was handed out in December of last year, but Hardaway disputed the allegations claiming that he was unaware of the rule.

In 2021, Hardaway and the Tigers were recruiting a highly sought after member of the 2023 high school class. The problem came when both he, and an assistant coach went for in-home visits two weeks apart in September of that year. NCAA regulations state that coaches can have only have visits with juniors or younger in high school at the school that they attend and nowhere else.

The visits came two weeks apart and were both in the prospects home, which is not just one violation but two. As a result the Infractions Committee for Division I sports categorized the violations as Level II-mitigated, earning the head coach a three game suspension.

Ignorance not and excuse - NCAA

“Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse,” claimed the panel in after their ruling. “The head coach’s inattentiveness to compliance -- particularly at a time when his program was under scrutiny related to a different infractions case -- resulted in careless violations. Head coaches must remain diligent in monitoring their staff and promoting compliance at all times and cannot delegate those responsibilities to compliance staff members and administrators.”

It’s not the first time that the University of Memphis had been in trouble with the NCAA. Hardaway had come under speculation for violating recruiting rules including improper benefits, but was admonished after because of his history of philanthropy in the city of Memphis.

The university came out with an announcement today saying “As was announced by the NCAA in December, the University of Memphis reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff on institutional penalties relating to a violation that occurred in our men’s basketball program during the 2021-22 academic year. As was also indicated in December, one individual, now identified as Coach Hardaway, exercised his right to work directly with the NCAA on his portion of the case, which was finalized today,”

The Tigers 2023/24 schedule has yet to be released, but what is known is Memphis won’t have their head coach for the first three games.