Duke basketball champion becomes assistant coach at program under NCAA investigation

Nolan Smith will start his second coaching tenure after leaving the Duke basketball bench this season following the announcement that he has been hired as an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers.

The school made the hire official on Wednesday.

"Nolan is a grit and grind guy and is one of the brightest young coaches in college basketball," Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said in a statement.

"He works hard and has a passion for the game that is unmatched. He brings a championship mindset to our team after not only having won a national championship as a player, but also by learning from one of the all-time greats in Mike Krzyzewski."

The hires come at a very strange time for Memphis basketball after Hardaway announced two weeks ago that four members of his staff would not return to the 2024-25 season. The program is also under NCAA investigation for allegations of academic fraud.

It's the third time the NCAA has investigated the men's basketball team since Hardaway's arrival.

Nolan Smith had to endure two grueling years at Louisville under head coach Kenny Payne when the program became not only the laughing stock of the ACC, but also the country with a 12-52 record.

Smith was not retained during the offseason by new Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey after Payne was fired following the season.

Memphis made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three seasons but missed the postseason last year despite starting the season 15-2 and being ranked as high as No. 10 in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll.

The Tigers were 7-8 to finish the season but have hopes of returning to March Madness this year as the favorites to win the American Athletic Conference.

Memphis will play North Carolina in an exhibition game on October 15 in Tennessee.