Former Raptors, Blazers, Grizzlies and Spurs guard Damon Stoudamire is leaving his alma mater, Arizona, to rejoin the coaching staff at the University of Memphis. Stoudamire, who had been an assistant with the Wildcats since 2013, rejoins a Memphis Tigers staff where he was formerly an assistant. Stoudamire says he made the decision in large part because he wanted to be closer to his family in Memphis.
The details of the decision, from the University of Arizona:
Damon Stoudamire has concluded his coaching tenure at Arizona and will rejoin the men’s basketball staff at the University of Memphis, UA head coach Sean Miller announced Monday.
In Stoudamire’s two seasons on the Wildcats’ bench, UA won 67 games – a program record for a two-year period and tied for the most in the nation over those two seasons – and captured two Pac-12 regular-season titles and a Pac-12 Tournament championship. Arizona reached the Elite Eight in both seasons with Stoudamire on its coaching staff.
“Damon did an outstanding job in his two seasons with us,” Miller said. “He gave our players confidence, was an excellent teacher and recruited successfully, which has positioned us well for our future. We wish Damon and his family great success in his return to Memphis. He will always be a part of our Arizona basketball family as both a player and a coach.”
Prior to his return to Tucson, Stoudamire was an assistant at Memphis for two seasons, where he helped former UA player and assistant coach Josh Pastner lead the Tigers to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Returning to Memphis also moves Stoudamire closer to his two sons, who frequently visited him in Tucson from their Atlanta home.
“It is with mixed emotions that I’ll be returning to the University of Memphis to be Josh Pastner’s lead assistant,” Stoudamire said. “It is bittersweet, as Arizona has and always will have a special place in my heart. Sean Miller, the rest of the staff and the great group of players mean a great deal to me.
“I have a unique opportunity to return to Memphis with the added knowledge of what I need to do to help them achieve the success we had at Arizona over the past two years. I’m also able to be closer to my two sons, who are near and dear to my heart.”
