Penny Hardaway has coached one season of college basketball with a winning percentage of 61.1.
The Memphis Tigers head man has just put together his first full recruiting class. It yielded a lavishly praised seven-man haul touted as the nation's best incoming group for 2019-20.
Included are two players, elite big man James Wiseman and forward D.J. Jeffries, that Kentucky pursued.
That's hardly an extensive coaching track record. Yet it feels like Hardaway, a four-time NBA All-Star as a player, has already changed the model for who gets hired in high-level men's college basketball coaching searches.
This week, Michigan tabbed former NBA All-Star Juwan Howard to replace the departed John Beilein. Earlier this spring, Vanderbilt named two-time NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse its men's hoops head man after the ouster of Bryce Drew.
Like Hardaway, 47, neither Howard nor Stackhouse had ever coached college basketball before being hired as head men. Without the perceived early success by Hardaway at Memphis, I'm not sure either Vandy or Michigan could have "sold" their hires.
Other than Penny, the track record of NBA megastars as college head coaches has been abysmal.
Clyde Drexler, a 10-time NBA All-Star, went 19-39 in two seasons (1998-2000) as head man at his college alma mater, Houston.
Isiah Thomas, a 12-time NBA All-Star, was 26-65 over three seasons (2009-2012) at Florida International.
Chris Mullin, a five-time NBA All-Star, went 59-73 in his four seasons (2015-19) coaching his college alma mater, St. John's.
Mullin stepped down after leading St. John's to the 2019 NCAA Tournament First Four (a bid that should have gone to UNC-Greensboro) where the Johnnies lost to Arizona State.
Patrick Ewing, an 11-time NBA All-Star, is 34-29 over his first two seasons as head coach at his college alma mater, Georgetown. The Hoyas improved from 15-15 in Ewing's first season (2017-18) to 19-14 last season.
Never before has a former pro basketball star been able to produce the level of recruiting buzz as a college head coach that Hardaway has generated at Memphis.
Yet when Memphis administrators bought out Tubby Smith to install Hardaway, it looked risky. Hardaway had cut his coaching teeth in grass-roots basketball with the Team Penny AAU program. He also served as head coach at East High School in Memphis.
It was assumed Hardaway would have recruiting success with players from his own AAU program. The question was whether he would be able to lure other high-level prospects with whom he had no prior ties.
For the class of 2019, the answer has been yes.
All seven of Hardaway's commitments are ranked in the Rivals 150.
No. 1 Wiseman, No. 50 Jeffries and No. 123 Malcolm Dandridge all had previous relationships with Hardaway, either from high school, AAU or both. A fourth, No. 84 Damion Baugh, played high school hoops in the city of Memphis.
However, Hardaway and Memphis also landed No. 17 Precious Achiuwa out of Montverde Academy in Florida; No. 37 Boogie Ellis, a former Duke commit, from San Diego; and No. 48 Lester Quinones from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
The other major question was whether Hardaway could succeed in the X's and O's chess matches with more experienced college coaches. The jury is still out on that, but Hardaway directing his first Memphis team to a 22-14 mark and the second round of the NIT suggested he can hold his own.
In the coming season, Hardaway will face the task that one-and-done maestros John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski encounter every year: Getting a freshman-dominated roster of high school stars to play as a unit that can overcome more experienced foes.
It is possible that daunting challenge will expose Hardaway's lack of college coaching experience. It is also conceivable that Hardaway's background working in AAU basketball uniquely qualifies him to overcome it.
Is Hardaway a singular exception to what has been the rule of failure for ex-NBA stars turned college head coaches -- or is Penny the start of an emerging trend?
To a large extent, that will be determined by how Howard at Michigan and Stackhouse at Vandy each fare.
Sports on 05/25/2019