Rasheed Wallace emerges as prime candidate to join Penny Hardaway's staff at Memphis

Another familiar name is expected to join Penny Hardaway’s staff at Memphis.

After adding legendary coach Larry Brown to his staff as an assistant earlier this offseason, Hardaway is now reportedly making a push to hire former NBA star Rasheed Wallace, as well.

NBA insider Marc Stein was the first to break the news.

“Sources say Rasheed Wallace has emerged as a prime candidate to join Penny Hardaway’s Memphis staff as an assistant coach,” Stein reported on Saturday. “Penny has already hired Larry Brown, the only coach to win NCAA and NBA titles, as an assistant.”

From the college ranks: Sources say Rasheed Wallace has emerged as a prime candidate to join Penny Hardaway's Memphis staff as an assistant coach.

Penny has already hired Larry Brown, the only coach to win NCAA and NBA titles, as an assistant.

More NBA: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 31, 2021

During his playing days, Wallace was a four-time NBA All-Star and an NBA champion (2004), scoring 16,006 career points, bringing down 7,404 career rebounds and swatting away 1,460 career blocks. With the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 6-foot-11 center earned ACC All-Freshman team honors in 1994 before being named First-Team All-ACC and a consensus second-team All-American in 1995.

As a coach, Wallace served as an assistant for the Detroit Pistons during the 2013-14 season, but was not rehired once Stan Van Gundy took over as the franchise’s head coach. In March 2019, Wallace became the boys varsity coach at Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina.

Now, it appears the former All-Star will now be hitting the recruiting trail and starting his college coaching career as he joins Hardaway’s staff in Memphis.