Feb. 15, Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor made a public statement that head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang had been fired for cause. Jerome Tang was in the midst of his fourth season as the K-State Wildcats head coach before being fired. Tang and the Wildcats had a record of 10-15, including a dismal 1-11 record in Big 12 conference play, with their lone win coming against Utah, which has the same conference record as K-State. It had been previously reported that Coach Tang was expected to coach at least one more season for the Wildcats before being terminated for cause.
So, what was the cause? Well, after a 91-62 loss to Cincinnati, which was in the midst of its own coaching controversy following multiple bad losses in a row, coach Jerome Tang told the media that his players did not deserve to wear the uniform and that he was embarrassed for the university, fans, and students, he also stated that very few of the players on the team this year would be returning next season. He went on to tell the media that his players would be practicing at 6 AM, and they would figure this out. The game after the Cincinnati outburst, Coach Tang made sure to remove the last names from the back of every player’s jersey.
K-state’s athletic director Gene Taylor is making the claim that Coach Tang was fired for cause because he broke a contract agreement, which states that he can be fired for cause for “public disrepute, embarrassment, or ridicule of the university.” Gene Taylor argued that the comments Jerome Tang made publicly went too far, causing harm to the team’s ability to perform as well as the university’s public image. Coach Tang has a buyout clause in his contract, which was set to reward him with a record 18.7 million dollars. This is currently voided by the university, claiming that Coach Tang was fired with cause and not just for poor performance.
Coach Tang had this to say after his firing, “I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination. I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach. I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.”
Despite his appreciation and gratefulness, Coach Jerome Tang is fighting back. Coach Tang has said that he will be going after his buyout money, although all signs point to a settlement outside of the courtroom, he has made it clear that he is willing to take the case to court to receive his money.
Next up is assistant coach Mathew Driscoll, who received the interim head coaching job and led K-State to an immediate 90-74 win over Baylor. This may have seemed like a step in the right direction before Coach Driscoll and the Wildcats received a 100-72 drubbing in Lubbock, Texas, at the hands of a Texas Tech team that lost its star player, JT Toppin, for the rest of the season.
Things look bleak in Manhattan, where they have not reached the NCAA Tournament since the magical 2022- 2023 Elite Eight run, which was made in Jerome Tang’s first season as the Wildcats head coach. There will be many capable coaches in the next hiring cycle, as there always is. It will be interesting to see who is willing to take this opportunity, as it will not only be a full rebuild, but the next coach will know the university is willing to throw a coach under the bus to find a way around paying the buyout of its employee.
