Pastner makes plans to hire strength and conditioning coach as soon as possible
Coach Josh Pastner has to make moves quickly before the 2014-25 basketball season approaches in late November. With Jason Gardner heading to Indiana-Purdue University (IUPUI), Pastner has to replace another assistant coach for the fourth consecutive year. Also, he needs a strength and conditioning coach, which seems to be his main priority.
Redshirt freshman Pookie Powell (6-1, 177) had plans to transfer to another school after he and Pastner had an disagreement about Powell training with former strength and conditioning coach Frank Matrisciano in California over the summer. Matrisciano was fired on the 7th of January.
According to Pastner himself, this is the most important task to complete in the offseason.
“The process is moving forward. We are getting there. I want to have someone in place in a week or so,” Pastner said. With the way the Tigers were manhandled in their losses to UConn (3), Cincinnati, Florida, SMU, and Virginia, the Tigers will need to get more aggressive if they want to be recognized as a national powerhouse in college basketball. Pastner looks to hire a new strength and conditioning coach by June 2nd, the same day Memphis officially begin summer workouts.
“I’ve just got to make sure we hire the right person to get the job done. We are getting there. I am going to have someone in place before June 2nd, but there are many factors,” Pastner said. “I don’t think you can pinpoint any one factor.”
The quotes came from Grant Milner (Memphis Roar).
