As reported by multiple sources, led by CBS’ Matt Norlander, Kansas State has fired men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang.
The firing followed widely publicized comments during a news conference after Cincinnati’s loss Wednesday, a 91-62 humiliation at Bramlage that constituted one of the worst home defeats in K-State history. During that press conference, Tang attacked his own players, saying they didn’t deserve to wear the uniform.
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(Of course, there’s a man responsible for these players wearing said uniform to begin with.)
K-State tries to fire Tang for good reasonwhich can be very problematic from a legal point of view. Athletic director Gene Taylor, in a statement, said: “The recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the overall direction of the program, are not consistent with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. » This is likely simply a tactic to get Tang to agree to a reduction in his $18 million buyout, as clauses such as one prohibiting “embarrassing or discrediting” the university are notoriously difficult to enforce.
Tang exits as K-State is mired in a nightmare 10-15 campaign, just 1-11 in conference play and including a home loss to Bowling Green in December. Although he led the Cats to the Elite Eight with a 26-10 record in his rookie season, he leaves with a career record of 71-57, 29-39 in the Big 12, and K-State will have missed the NCAA tournament three straight times since that run, including a first-round loss to Iowa in the 2024 NIT.
Hugely popular after the Elite Eight run, Tang was extended for an extension following reported poaching interest in Arkansas and an absurd outpouring of fan support surrounding the firing of Nae’Quan Tomlin. But since that incident, Tang’s record is just 38-45, 18-32 in the Big 12. The goodwill he had generated during his freshman-plus season remained through the remainder of the 2023-24 season, but began to evaporate early in the 2024-25 season as the team floundered, and was all but gone by the middle of that season.
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As of yet, K-State has not named an interim coach and a national search for a permanent replacement has already begun. (Update: Associate head coach Matt Driscoll has been named interim. Driscoll, like Tang, a former Baylor assistant, spent 16 years as head coach at North Florida, compiling a 248-264 record and making one NCAA tournament appearance.)
