Kansas State University has fired men's basketball coach Jerome Tang after four seasons, amid a disappointing 10-15 record and a 1-11 mark in Big 12 play. The decision follows a 78-64 loss to No. 3 Houston and comes days after Tang's viral postgame rant criticizing his team following a 91-62 defeat to Cincinnati. Tang's buyout exceeds $18 million, with the school attempting to terminate him for cause.
Kansas State announced the firing of Jerome Tang on Sunday, ending his tenure as head coach of the Wildcats men's basketball team. Tang, hired in 2022 after serving as associate head coach at Baylor, led the program to immediate success in his first season, guiding the team to a 26-10 record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. That year, point guard Markquis Nowell set an NCAA Tournament record with 19 assists in a Sweet 16 win over Michigan State, while forward Keyontae Johnson contributed significantly to the run.
However, performance declined in subsequent seasons. The Wildcats finished 19-15 in 2023-24, missing the NCAA Tournament, and 16-17 in 2024-25 amid roster drama related to name, image, and likeness deals. This 2025-26 season has been the worst, with Kansas State starting 5-0 before collapsing in Big 12 play, including a 0-5 start—the program's poorest since 1996-97. The team ranks 101st in KenPom efficiency and allows 80.7 points per game, just above the average of 80.2 it scores.
The firing follows back-to-back losses: a 91-62 home defeat to Cincinnati on Wednesday and a 78-64 road loss to Houston on Saturday, marking the sixth straight defeat. In the postgame press conference after the Cincinnati game, Tang expressed frustration, stating, "This was embarrassing. These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous." For the Houston game, Tang removed players' names from the backs of their jerseys.
Tang compiled a 71-57 overall record, including 29-39 in Big 12 play. Despite heavy spending in the transfer portal, including signing PJ Haggerty—who averages 23.3 points per game on 48% shooting—the team has struggled defensively. The school is attempting to fire Tang for cause to avoid his $18.675 million buyout, the largest publicly known in college basketball history, though negotiations are ongoing and he could challenge it in court. Tang's contract included an offset clause requiring him to seek subsequent employment to mitigate payments over 24 months.
