According to a report from the Commercial Appeal, Memphis men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway is set to hire Kristan Kelly as the program’s new director of basketball operations. Kelly will replace Jordan VerHulst, who departed in June to become an assistant at Murray State. She will become the first woman on Hardaway’s game-day bench staff. This also marks the second offseason staff addition for Memphis, following the earlier hiring of Darrell Brown Jr. as director of player development.

Kelly previously served as Memphis’ compliance director from 2013 to 2021 before moving on to roles at San Jose State and Southern Illinois, where she was a senior associate AD. Her return adds experience and continuity to a reshaped staff that has also seen Jermaine Johnson promoted to assistant coach and Marcus Nunnally (director of scouting) depart. While much of the coaching staff is expected to remain intact for the 2025–26 season, the team’s entire roster will be new, with Hardaway bringing in a fresh group of transfers, including Dug McDaniel, Sincere Parker, and Aaron Bradshaw.