Memphis played the then-No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners very close at the beginning of the year, and at that point there was some optimism surrounding the Tigers. To this day, that game against Oklahoma was impressive, considering the Sooners look like the best team in the country, but Memphis has gone in the opposite direction. The Tigers are in the middle of their worst season in quite a long time, and that has Josh Pastner on the hot seat, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports.
Pastner took over at Memphis after John Calipari left the program in great shape in 2009. Pastner was 32 years old when he took the job, and he has had quite a bit of success there, as he led the Tigers to five straight 20-plus-win seasons in his first five years. Also, after missing the NCAA tournament in his first season, Pastner brought Memphis to the tournament for four consecutive years.
These last two seasons have not gone well for Pastner and Memphis though, as the team went 18-14 last season and things have not gotten better this year, as the Tigers are 13-9. The Tigers are near the bottom of the AAC standings, and the conference isn't exactly a powerhouse. In its most recent game, Memphis lost to UConn at home by 20 points, its most lopsided home loss since back in 1999. This has gotten people speculating as to whether Pastner might be done after seven seasons at the helm.
Making the decision to fire Pastner won't be an easy one for Memphis due to his contract. He is under contract through the 2019-20 season at $2.65 million a year, according to Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, but the bigger issue would be the buyout Memphis would have to pay. If Memphis were to fire Pastner, it would have to pay him $10.6 million a buyout, which would be the highest paid buyout in college basketball history There are reportedly some who wonder whether Memphis could afford that big of a buyout.
There are plenty of people around the Memphis Tigers who are calling for Pastner to be fired, but it is not that easy. Pastner has had a lot of success in the past, and that buyout is definitely working in his favor. Working against him is the direction in which the program seems to be headed. Memphis has gotten worse in each of the previous three season, and looking ahead Pastner is bringing in a recruiting class that is outside the top 50 (number 58, according to 247 Sports) for 2016.
