"I will not rest until Penny Hardaway is fired": Fans enraged at NBA legend after Memphis Tigers succumb to Mississippi State

Memphis succumbed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 79–66, on Saturday, and the Tigers faithful aren't happy about it. That's because their team got its third loss of the 2024-2025 season against an unranked team. Memphis currently ranks 21st with conference games upcoming.

Fans poured out their frustrations on social media regarding the coaching style of NBA legend Penny Hardaway.

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"Penny Hardaway has always sucked as a coach," one fan tweeted.

"It's Penny Hardaway, what else can you expect?" A user tweeted.

Many even called for the premature firing of the former Orlando Magic guard as the Tigers' main tactician.

"When you get beat so bad on your home floor you start talking about who celebrates better. Penny Hardaway just got stuffed in a locker by Chris Jans. Thank y’all for letting the Memphis area State fans come out and watch BTA. Thoughts on the maroon white chants in ur arena?" Another tweeted.

"FIRE PENNY HARDAWAY!" A user tweeted.

Hardaway has been the Memphis Tigers coach since 2018 and has only produced an ACC Championship in 2023. It seems as though fans are expecting more from the team and from Hardaway specifically given that he is a former Tigers standout himself.

As conference games are coming up shortly, Hardaway's next opportunity to try and win back some fans will be on Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels.

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Memphis shot poorly from the field in the loss against Mississippi State

The Tigers, as a whole, didn't exactly shoot the ball well in the loss against the Bulldogs. The team only amounted to 35.8% from the field and an abysmal 29.6% from 3-point territory, a far cry from its season averages of 45.5% and 40.5%, respectively.

Mississippi State played tremendous defense against Memphis for it to go ice cold with its shooting percentages. Hardaway and Co. will have to reevaluate their game plan to prevent this from happening further.

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