“To be able to bring an entire city together is not easy, and we definitely have one thing in common in the city - that's the Tigers. The history of the school is well-noted around town. It is an SEC kind of country with all the SEC schools, but Memphis trumps all of that in the city. I embrace that.”

American college basketball coach and former professional player

Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway is an American college basketball coach and former professional player. He is the head coach of the Memphis Tigers men’s team and spent 14 seasons in the NBA, where he became a four-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Team selection. Hardaway played college basketball at Memphis before his professional career. He is best known for his years with the Orlando Magic, and also played for the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. His profile comes from both his playing career and his work as a coach.